Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Berthier—Maskinongé for raising this important issue in the House. I would also like to acknowledge the producers who are here today.
The government fully supports Canada’s supply management system. We are all working together to address the industry’s concerns. The minister and I are both former dairy farmers. We understand very well the challenges farmers face on a daily basis. My family’s farm is in La Prairie, not too far from here. It is a fifth-generation dairy farm.
Supply-managed sectors are essential for ensuring that Canada has a strong agricultural sector and a prosperous economy. All told, the dairy, poultry, and egg markets create nearly 300,000 jobs and generate overall economic spinoffs of $32 billion.
Of all of Canada’s food industries, the dairy sector is the largest. It accounts for $6 billion in farm gate sales and more than $16 billion in sales in the processing sector, and it employs more than 100,000 people.
The dairy sector includes our innovative cheese industry, which continues to win awards around the world. Dairy production is an important part of the economy in every region of Quebec. Across the province, over 6,000 dairy farm owners market nearly 3 billion litres of milk a year with a farm gate value of over $2,000 billion.
That is why the government committed to protecting supply management and holding consultations to find a long-term solution. Canada is also a world leader in exports of livestock genetics, with sales of nearly $200 million in 100 countries. The government is determined to support Canada’s dynamic dairy sector.
In January, we announced a new $1.75-million federal investment in the dairy research cluster. This large investment will support the work of our Canadian agriculture and agri-food researchers in two key areas: enhancing the energy value of Canadian forage crops to increase milk production and understanding the role played by milk fat, including its effect on type 2 diabetes. Total federal funding for the dairy research cluster is now $13.75 million.
We have been clear from the start: the Government of Canada strongly supports supply management. Innovation is important to the Canadian dairy industry. Today, the average cow produces almost three times more milk than 50 years ago. The industry is substantially improving its productivity and sustainability. Canadian dairy farmers are among the world leaders in their industry when it comes to the environment. The Canadian dairy industry currently has a smaller carbon, water and soil footprint than almost every other dairy industry in the world.
On our family farm in La Prairie, we want to conserve water and soil resources for future generations, so we are very conscious of the importance of the environment. All agricultural activities have an environmental impact, whether they take place in the field or in the barn. Canadian farmers know they have to take the environment into account in everything they do. That is the right thing to do for the future of their families and of our planet.
That is why I was in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue two weeks ago with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to announce a federal investment of $27 million to help producers find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their farming operations.
This investment is part of the Government of Canada’s ongoing efforts to help this sector be competitive, innovative and sustainable.
The agricultural greenhouse gases program supports research into greenhouse gas-reducing practices and technologies that can be implemented on the farm. This new five-year investment extends Canada’s existing commitment to support the objectives of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. On Monday, the Agriculture and Environment ministers announced a one-year investment of up to $1.9 million for the agricultural youth green jobs initiative to attract youth to green jobs in the agriculture and agri-food sector.
This initiative follows through on a Government of Canada commitment made in budget 2016 to provide employment opportunities for post-secondary graduates interested in helping the agriculture sector carry out environmentally beneficial activities.
For dairy farmers, these activities could include building fences so that livestock—