Honourable senators, I rise today to speak about the outcome of the recent virtual meetings of the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture.

I was pleased to hear the Minister of Agriculture announce a substantial package and firm timeline to support supply managed farmers in dairy, poultry, and egg industries, and reiterate this government’s dedication to improving our business risk management program, as well as the joint commitment by the two levels of government to create a working group to examine unfair grocery store practices. I’m looking forward to hearing the further details of these programs from both government and industry partners.

While these announcements are good news for Canadian agriculture, I am hopeful that additional supports will be made available for farmers as they continue to navigate these unprecedented circumstances. I am particularly hopeful that this government will expedite the promised financial support for dairy and poultry processors. They have been waiting patiently for further details on compensation to offset the impacts of recent trade deals, and it is imperative that this support come sooner rather than later. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many important issues facing the agriculture and agri-food industries.

These issues, namely the limitations of the business risk management programs, the difficulty of interprovincial trade, and the need for sustained financial support as a result of detrimental trade agreements, as well as unfair grocery store practices, should continue to be top of mind for all levels of government given the critical role that Canadian agriculture has played throughout this crisis.

Honourable senators, the agricultural sector is struggling to utilize the suite of business risk management programs and access the financial support they need to survive. I hope that with the minister’s significant proposed changes the provinces and territories will come on board and work to further enhance Canada’s AgriStability program.

Another issue of concern to the agricultural industry is trade, as it pertains to both domestic and international opportunities. It is extremely unfortunate that it is more difficult to transport agricultural products within our country’s boundaries than it is to move them across the ocean. We will never be able to reach our full potential in international markets without being able to fully benefit from our internal trade. Moving forward, I hope that the government will be more cautious and not engage in deals that will further harm our country’s food producers.

At this time, I would like to thank the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture for their ongoing support of the agricultural sector throughout this pandemic. Our farmers, food processors and producers and agricultural workers have continued to put themselves at increased risk to feed Canadians, and the support of our government is both much needed and appreciated.

I am proud of Canadian agriculture for its continuous resiliency and adaptability over these past months. I truly believe that agriculture can come out of this crisis stronger than ever, and that agriculture will be an economic driver to help Canada through this pandemic.

Thank you very much for listening. Meegwetch.