Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

In 2017, the government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, chaired by Dominic Barton, identified agriculture as a key sector for growth. The advisory council’s report set a target to grow Canada’s agri-food exports from $55 billion to at least $75 billion by 2025.

When the first report was released, the then-finance minister thanked the members of the council for their advice and said:

I look forward to continuing to work with the Council as we continue to strengthen our middle class and grow Canada’s economy . . . .

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While these targets were headline news a few years ago, they seem to have fallen off the government’s radar as of late. However, I was pleased to see that agriculture was highlighted in this year’s federal budget to receive support for stable supply chains and economic growth, in addition to efforts to make the industry more sustainable.

The targets have not fallen off the industry’s radar. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture brought forward a resolution at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual general meeting last month regarding the need to support the implementation of initiatives outlined in the Barton report.

Honourable colleagues, as I have said time and time again, it is evident that agriculture can truly be a driver of the Canadian economy and can help us recover after the pandemic. In order to meet the ambitious Barton targets, we need to do a better job of promoting Canadian agriculture on the world stage and at home.

My question is this, Senator Gold: With only three years left to reach the 2025 targets set out in the Barton report, can you confirm whether we are on track to reach them?