Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis in our country that requires immediate attention by the minister of agriculture. The price of a finished hog is $25 less than the cost of the food to produce the hog, never mind the overhead, interest payments and fuel charges that a farmer also has to pay. If this trend continues for a few more months many farmers are going to be wiped out.
The minister of agriculture has a responsibility to ensure that Canadian farmers, who are the most efficient producers in the world, are not victims of global subsidization policies. The Government of Canada has an obligation to ensure that these farmers, some of whom are my neighbours and friends, will not be driven from their farms and their livelihoods.
If they are the most efficient in the world, why are they among the first to lose everything?