Agriculture committee  I'd have to agree with Minister Kelly. First and foremost, we face a labour crisis in Canada as it pertains to the manufacturing sector, which is acutely felt in food processing. We need greater-skilled workers, access to labour forces, and that will immediately improve our comp

Agriculture committee  That's a very good point. Certainly I agree that the size and scale of the fees that are being imposed on suppliers, in some cases, represent the entire operating margin of smaller and medium-sized businesses. It becomes unprofitable very quickly. That business can shut down with

Agriculture committee  It's an excellent question. We are calling on the federal government to help establish the framework that the provinces and territories can adopt, so that there's a consistent implementation of a grocery code of conduct that is ultimately enforceable across the country. We thi

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much for that question. I would have to say yes. We have a fairly uncompetitive landscape in Canada. Land values, taxation and regulatory reform.... Some of that has created part of the quality value proposition that we have for export of food products. We have a

Agriculture committee  There are a number of ways that retailers can enforce, place or shift their risk for innovation, development and capital plans to the supplier, and ultimately the primary producer—everything from short payment of invoices to penalties on fulfillment. Right now order-in quantiti

Agriculture committee  Good afternoon, Chair and committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today. I'm Denise Allen. I'm president and CEO of Food Processors of Canada. For more than 35 years, we have been the leading voice of Canada's food and beverage processing facilities. The recent allow

Finance committee  Sure, and thank you very much for that question. Currently, we're seeing a shortening of payment terms being requested across the board, especially in the food distribution side of the business. A lot of businesses are moving to cash on delivery, or COD. We know this is really c

Finance committee  Thank you, Chairman and distinguished members of the committee, for the opportunity to present as you examine concerning matters related to COVID-19. My name is Denise Allen, and I am the president and CEO of Food Processors of Canada. For more than 35 years, Food Processors of