SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 162

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 16, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 162 - Feb/16/23
Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Sherbrooke, Lib.)
  • Feb/16/23 2:05:38 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a good opportunity to celebrate our food and, above all, those who produce it. In Coaticook, in the Eastern Townships, Agropur announced that the Morin farm won the prize for the best milk in Quebec for the third consecutive year. Thanks to farmers like Réjean Morin et Véronique Lévesque, who pamper their animals from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, we can enjoy delicious local products. The hard work of producers on 190,000 farms across the country has enabled Canada to enjoy an enviable reputation around the world for the quality of its food, its innovation in the agricultural and agri‑food sector, and its sustainable development principles. The efforts of my colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, ensure that our government will continue to support our farmers by implementing various measures, including the new sustainable Canadian agricultural partnership, by investing in innovation and clean technologies, and by fully supporting supply management.
178 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 162 - Feb/16/23
Mr. Martin Shields (Bow River, CPC)
  • Feb/16/23 6:19:12 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am dealing with a topic that is really important to agriculture in parts of our country. It has to do with dichlorvos and leafcutter bees. People are familiar with honey bees, but there is a very small subset of bees called leafcutter bees. These are the ones that are used to pollinate alfalfa seed and canola seed. There was a decision made in 2020 about this chemical. When they looked at this chemical, they said it is something we do not want to have used in homes. Some people might remember those old fly strips. It was connected with people, but they did not address outside use. Under the labelling, it did not say it was used outside. However, it is used outside for the parasites that attack the leafcutter bee. The leafcutter bee pollinates alfalfa seed and canola seed. Those people who grow hay, those people who grow canola need this seed. This is critical. There is no more of this supply in Canada at the end of this year. They have used up all of the inventory that is there. This is critical. The producers are saying we need an extension on what was put in to stop it from being used domestically, but this is agriculture. We need this change now. We are talking about the canola crops in this country. We are talking about alfalfa that is grown. These are the seed producers, and a by-product of these small seed groups is that they export it to the United States for about $16 million a year. We need to look at this issue. As the 2023 season ends, we will be in trouble with our seed producers in alfalfa and in canola, the very seed producers who produce it for farmers so they can grow alfalfa and canola in this country. We need to address this issue. Speaking of another particular area in our economy, most of these farmers grow this seed in an agricultural area that is irrigated. In my riding, we have a huge percentage of the irrigation that is done. When we are talking about 2050 and 10 billion people on our planet, we will need 70% more food produced. Where is that going to happen? The intensification will happen in irrigated areas. We have the water. We have the land. We grow 60 different varieties of plants and products that are exported and used in food security. The problem with the government is that it believes that carbon tax is a good thing. For our food security, it is not. It is not good, because this is an industry that uses a lot of electricity. People will find that I will get the same reply I have before, that the farmers get a rebate, but they get a rebate that is about 10% of 1% back to their operation. This does not solve the electricity. I have ag people out there paying $10,000 a month on their irrigation, on the carbon tax. This is about food security. This is where we are going to grow more food, so we need to get the carbon tax off the irrigated farms in this country.
535 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border