Agriculture committee  I would share the sentiment of Jacques that it is an investment, particularly in the agriculture and agrifood industry. It is such a dynamic industry in Canada that it is exceeding its peers. As I said in my speech, it's the top manufacturing industry in Canada, so certainly when it comes to looking at budgeting, ideally it should not be touched, but obviously that's not necessarily the most realistic answer.

Agriculture committee  It's a very simple question. For each sector in agriculture, whether manufacturing, retailers, or farmers, it is very much on a case-by-case basis. What works in one industry or for one sector of the industry may not work for the others. What has been effective in creating big splashes has been a lot of the international shows.

Agriculture committee  Are you referring to food products only or...?

Agriculture committee  No problem.

Agriculture committee  Case IH: I got it. In terms of local marketing, our association members are often taking it into their own hands. I wouldn't say they necessarily go to federal programs or the federal government. They go through organizations like Foodland Ontario and some of the provincial organizations.

Agriculture committee  Our organization is looking at those new markets very much on a case-by-case basis. As I mentioned, our membership is really diverse. You're going from people who are multinationals, selling all across the world, to others who are really only looking at one region in one province or at one province at a time.

Agriculture committee  I would repeat the same sentiment. Trade is very important for the members of the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association, whether they are Canadian companies trying to market their products to farmers in other countries, or whether they're representing foreign companies who are hoping to reach Canadian farmers.

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much. Good afternoon, honourable MPs and observers. My name is Stefanie Nagelschmitz and I am here representing the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association, also known as CAMA. In my everyday life, I am the communications coordinator for Canada's Outdoor Farm Show, held annually in Woodstock, Ontario, and we're actually the nation's largest business to business trade show for farmers and agribusinesses.