Agriculture committee  We're competing with international markets. Today, vegetables from Mexico are coming into the country, while we still offer vegetables in Quebec. As for the cost of labour, wages are $80, $100 or $120 a week in Mexico, while the wages for a similar number of hours of work here ar

Agriculture committee  In terms of reciprocity of standards, the reference margins are quite different from those of our neighbouring countries or countries that produce the same vegetables as we do. In Mexico and Guatemala, for example, the on‑farm food safety and environmental standards are completel

Agriculture committee  We are currently losing orders for root vegetables from Quebec. For my farm alone, two orders that were going to be exported on the weekend were cancelled. The price difference is unbelievable. The exchange rate usually helps, but it's not that different right now. We also have

Agriculture committee  Yes, we definitely need a code of conduct, but we also need programs to support farmers. We want to feed people, but we don't want to feed them at a loss. It's the loss of businesses that we foresee, in many cases, those that will not be able to make it.

Agriculture committee  Yes. We can go even further than that and talk about wash water, for which new committees and new standards are added every day, every week and every month.

Agriculture committee  For impeccable employers, it has to be three‑year predetermined contracts. It isn't complicated. Currently, processing a request normally takes 20 weeks. Today, Service Canada still processes applications manually. This results in a processing time of 12 to 15 weeks. This leaves

Agriculture committee  Good afternoon, hon. members. I'd like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak before the committee today. My name is Catherine Lefebvre, and I'm the president of the Quebec Produce Growers Association, or QPGA. With me today is our general manager, Patrice Léger Bo