International Trade committee  I will start with your second question. Right now, we do in fact see a risk regarding the UK. In terms of moving too quickly, that is true. Canada and the UK both have an interest in concluding a trade agreement, but it has to be done properly. If the details are not ironed out properly, we will hit a wall as soon as the agreement is signed.

International Trade committee  We have to make sure that the same requirements apply to both sides. It is with respect to the technical requirements that differences arise. We have to make sure they are very clear and are well understood by both parties, since they are spelled out. In the agreement with the EU, we noted that certain technical requirements were not spelled out.

International Trade committee  In that specific case, we have to make sure it doesn't happen again. That is why it is important that representatives of the industry sectors that are affected by trade relationship are also at the table to make their case. Canada cannot afford to ignore the industry's opinion.

International Trade committee  We expressed our support for new trading relationships in the Indo-Pacific region, which we regard as a potential market. Market diversification is extremely important, especially in Southeast Asia, but it is still important to be able to conclude agreements with as few non-trade barriers as possible.

International Trade committee  It's not the first plant that is closing because of this market situation, so yes, it's really concerning, and it has an effect on the ground. I just received a call before I arrived regarding producers in distress, because this will mean that producers have to close down, so it's not just a matter of numbers.

International Trade committee  Then I will say quickly that it has a major impact, and it has an impact beyond Olymel.

International Trade committee  I will start with background information. Stephen can provide some of the statistics about how it has evolved over time, so it will help also to answer the questions.

International Trade committee  All industries have their specificities. It's important that everybody be aware of the specificities of our industry, so people can do negotiations on our behalf properly. We are in communication with the government currently, with the office of the minister, and it helps a lot to make sure that we bridge any information gaps that could be there.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the invitation and thank you to the committee members for your work on this issue. My name is René Roy. I am the chair of the Canadian Pork Council and am also a pork farmer. Joining me today is our executive director, Stephen Heckbert. The Canadian Pork Council is the voice for Canada's almost 8,000 pork farmers.

Agriculture committee  We can also diversify our markets by offering a different type of product. There are various ways to do that. We have done it by exporting pork to Japan, for example, but we can also move into the secondary processing sector. If we do quality research and are able to develop interesting products for our domestic market or for the international market, we will find markets that are not occupied.

Agriculture committee  I will try to be brief. We have to work together, and we are already doing so with the Canadian Meat Council. We can only meet the challenges if we work together. When it comes to negotiations, it is the provincial organizations that are leading them, especially in Quebec. I'll let Mr.

Agriculture committee  Yes, there is an opportunity. It is diversity that can help our industry. A small abattoir can become a medium-sized abattoir overnight. The Government of Canada can help us in the processing sector and it can help producers through this crisis.

Agriculture committee  There is certainly a regulatory factor that makes it more difficult. On the other hand, when there are business combinations or interest in acquisitions, the transactions must be well examined. Mr. Duval raised this point. It needs to be considered because you can't compare food to industrial goods.

Agriculture committee  As far as non-tariff barriers are concerned, if countries are capable of using them, we are capable of using them too. It's just a matter of giving them their money's worth. I'm not saying that we have to make a culture of it, but there are signals that have to be sent to countries that should be good business partners, like the European countries.

Agriculture committee  That's true for Europe. There was also an agreement recently reached with the United Kingdom. We are not satisfied with this exchange, because we will not have access to that.