Good afternoon, members of the committee.
My name is Daniel Gobeil, president of the Producteurs de lait du Québec and a dairy farmer in La Baie, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.
It is clear to me and to the 4,500 dairy producers in Quebec, spread over 14 beautiful regions, that the adoption of Bill C‑282 is essential to the survival and predictability of dairy farms in Quebec and in Canada.
My predecessors talked about concessions. They mentioned these various agreements: the CETA, the CPTPP and the CUSMA. These agreements include concessions that have resulted in a market loss of 8.4%. In addition to this figure, there are tariff quotas already imposed by the World Trade Organization, the WTO. Today, 18% of the Canadian market is occupied by products supplied by other countries.
The supply management model dates back to 1971. It is not a business model, it is an agricultural policy that Canada has maintained over the years. All countries have agricultural policies and more fragile sectors, which they want to protect when they sit at the negotiating table. The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, is one example. The large subsidies associated with the U.S. Farm Bill are another.
During negotiations, each sector works to protect certain policies. In our case, however, it is always the same thing at every negotiation: the dairy sector is sacrificed at the last minute. It is very important to protect the supply management sector, i.e., milk, eggs and poultry produced throughout Canada. Supply management ensures profitability and balance on the farm, while meeting Canadian demand.
This model allows Canadian producers to offer a quality product that fills grocery store shelves. We have seen this in recent events following the pandemic and supply chain breakdowns. It is very important that our food and our health are supported by quality local products. It is important to protect those sectors that want to provide those products to Canadians.
By protecting the supply management system, Canada has, over the years, been able to negotiate trade agreements with many countries. In terms of trade, we have access to over two thirds of the world's population. It is not the supply management sector that has been detrimental to these agreements.
We hear comments from some players. We sincerely believe that it is possible to protect interesting market sectors and production methods such as supply management in Canada, while developing export markets for certain products for which there is a global demand. As we have proven in previous agreements, in Canada, we are able to do this.
We are really counting on the support of all political parties for Bill C‑282. That is what we have seen. The last few weeks have shown us that there is real support from all four major parties, and especially from their leaders, to protect jobs across Canada.
I thank you for listening and for giving me the opportunity to speak to you. I am available to answer your questions.