Mr. Speaker, no other country has the high quality, diverse and inexpensive food that we do in Canada. We spend under 10% of our income on food. No other country spends less and some spend twice as much. The reason for this is an extraordinary, diverse and efficient agricultural sector.
Across Canada farmers and their families produce a huge selection of healthy food at minimum costs. They do this in face of subsidized competition overseas.
By paying such a low price, are we not in fact short changing farmers? In some regions and for some crops it appears that we are.
I urge all Canadians to buy Canadian food products and to buy them as close to the farm gate as possible. If necessary, be prepared to pay a premium for higher quality and freshness. Let us make sure that our agricultural sector remains strong and vibrant.