Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable who is a member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and is doing an excellent job. I have had the opportunity to visit his beautiful area of the country and its abundance of maple syrup producers.
That said, the success of the country's agriculture and agrifood industry is a priority for our government. That is why we regularly consult with farmers and why we are taking appropriate measures to help the sector remain competitive in the long term.
We have set the goal of expanding Canadian annual agrifood exports to $75 billion by 2025. Budget 2018 builds on the investments in agriculture made in budget 2017, particularly the Canadian agricultural partnership, a supercluster initiative. This measure takes the necessary action to build a competitive, sustainable, and fair Canada where equality reigns. In Canada, where science and innovation help create economic growth, the Canadian agricultural partnership came into effect on April 1. It includes a $3-billion investment over five years that will help strengthen Canada's agriculture, agrifood and agri-based products industry.
The Transportation Modernization Act is also a priority for the government. It will make Canada's transportation system more transparent, fair, and efficient. It will help bring Canadian agricultural products to domestic and foreign markets.
The government is also defending the main interests of the agriculture and agrifood sector as it negotiates several free trade agreements. On March 8, Canada and 10 signatories signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in Santiago, Chile. Given that Asia-Pacific is a growing market for Canada, the CPTTP is excellent news for the agriculture and agrifood sector. This partnership will help create export markets, put Canadian agricultural producers on an equal footing with their main competitors, and ensure Canada's economic growth.
The government is also actively ensuring that the Canadian agriculture sector benefits from market opportunities created by the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
Last November, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food spent 10 days in China, our second largest export market for agrifood products, to promote Canadian agricultural products. This trip paved the way for stable trade for agricultural products such as canola and meat.
We will continue to invest in our farmers, livestock producers, and growers across the country. The agriculture and agrifood sector in Canada is an innovative and highly specialized sector and a key driver of Canada's economy. The government supports Canadian farmers and adopts policies that will give the industry a competitive advantage in growing global markets.