Thank you, Mr. Drouin. It's nice to see you, as always.
We're able to keep the costs down because of our smaller farms and less risk of bird flu. In the U.S., when they get impacted, it's larger farms that are being hit. Facilities with three and a half million birds are being hit. They've lost 18% of their production in the U.S.
We have to get 7% of our domestic supply from the U.S., so when their market is that short, it hurts us here also, but we have been able to maintain a low price. Producers get paid. We don't set the price in the grocery store, so whatever the retailers do—and I know there have been some hearings with retailers on food pricing—is out of our control. We are able to make sure that farmers get a fair return for what they're doing in maintaining a very affordable rate for nutrition for consumers in this country.
In terms of trade implications and deals that happen, we're not opposed to free trade deals. We want Canada to be a trading nation. Our U.S. counterparts, United Egg Producers, did not ask for any more access to our market, yet our government gave more access. That's why this bill is needed.