AGRI Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food met in camera at 3:33 p.m. this day, in Room 371, West Block, the Chair, Larry Miller, presiding.

The Committee resumed consideration of a draft report.

It was agreed, — That the draft report, as amended, be adopted.

It was agreed, — That the report be entitled: Competitiveness of Canadian Agriculture.

It was agreed, — That the Chair, Clerk and analyst be authorized to make such grammatical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report.

It was agreed, — That the Chair present the report to the House on Thursday, May 6, 2010.

It was agreed, — That the Committee append to its report, if provided, supplementary opinions from the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois, New Democratic Party and Conservatives provided that they are no more than the length of the report and submitted electronically to the Clerk of the Committee, no later than Tuesday, May 4, 2010, in both official languages.

It was agreed, — That the Committee commence its study on bill C-474, An Act respecting the Seeds Regulations (analysis of potential harm), no later than Monday, May 31, 2010.

It was agreed, — That the Committee recommend that the Government follow in the footsteps of the Province of Saskatchewan and over 40 Municipalities across Canada that have issued proclamations declaring May 29, 2010, as the Day of the Honey Bee by proclaiming May 29, 2010, as the National Day of the Honey Bee and that this be reported to the House.

It was agreed, — That the Committee recommend that the Government immediately instruct Canada’s negotiator at the World Trade Organization to indicate clearly and formally by all available means, that the text currently circulating at the Agriculture working group undermines and weakens Canada’s ability to maintain State Trading Enterprises and that consequently, the text as currently before the working group on agriculture will not be signed as part of the negotiations on the DOHA round of the WTO;

That the Government should give its negotiators a mandate during the DOHA round of negotiations at the World Trading Organization so that, at the end of negotiations Canada obtains results that will ensure that the ability of Canadian farmers to maintain State Trading Enterprises is not in any way weakened or undermined and that this be immediately reported to the House.

At 5:23 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.