Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question and indeed for her concern. I have spent a lot of time in Saskatchewan myself over the years. I agree that it seems to be one thing after another, the August 23 frost, the border closure, and low grain prices.
In terms of government programming, CAIS is not the only government program. There is crop insurance, PFRA, interim cash advances, spring and fall cash advances, and the Canadian Wheat Board that maximizes the returns that are in the marketplace back to primary producers.There is the supply management system in some industries. There is a gamut of programs that are designed to assist producers. There has been some of the ad hoc funding that the minister mentioned earlier in terms of the BSE crisis.
There were a lot of things in my farm income hearings across the country that were certainly stated clearly. One of them was the lack of market power that producers have in the marketplace.
I want to quote a rural sociologist, William Heffernan. He summarized from his point of view what is becoming all too evident to a number of primary producers. He said, “Economic power, not efficiency predicts survival in the system”.
I raise it because Canadian farmers are among the most efficient and most productive in the world. Yet, as a result of all our productivity, their efficiencies have been drained off by someone somewhere. They are not receiving their cost of production and return on labour investment even though they are efficient and productive. Why? Is it because they do not have that economic power?
I think this statement is realistic. We must find ways together to ensure that they do have more power in the marketplace and they get a fair share of that consumer and export dollar.
I raise that challenge with opposition members. Let us work together in terms of trying to achieve ways and means for farmers, for primary producers who are efficient and productive in this country, the backbone of the economy in rural Canada, to receive a fair return on labour investment. How do we find ways to give them some of that market power so that they can get that share of consumer and export dollars?