Madam Speaker, the industry has asked for clarity and certainty from the government as it relates to compensation, and we have provided just that. In August 2019, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced that $1.75 billion would be provided to compensate Canadian dairy farmers over eight years. Between December 2019 and January 2020, more than 10,000 dairy farmers received a cash payment of $345 million. The government has now set a schedule to deliver the remaining $1.4 billion through direct payments to farmers over a timeline of only three years, giving dairy producers greater certainty as they adapt to a new market environment.
The government has also announced $691 million for a 10-year program for the 4,800 Canadian chicken, egg, broiler hatching egg and turkey farmers. Collectively, this support will help dairy, poultry and egg producers adapt to new market conditions by replacing foregone income, increasing producer confidence in the future of supply-managed systems and providing producers with the opportunity to make strategic investments in their operations.
Through these investments, dairy, poultry and egg farmers will be able to improve their operations and be even more competitive, which will help—