Agriculture committee  I think when it comes to feed stocks, it's a concern for our producers as well, and rising prices. One of the problems that we do have, I think there are some opportunities in some of these byproducts from the bioenergy market that we could use. But we don't have the research money to put into it, and as a result we tend to rely a lot on research that has been done through the cattle industry, hoping that it's going to work for bison.

Agriculture committee  I was able to attend the business risk management consultations held in Calgary and then in Regina. I think the consensus was that it hasn't been working up to date, or certainly not working as effectively as it could be. As to whether our voice is being heard, a lot of the very same comments in Calgary surfaced again in Regina.

Agriculture committee  Certainly diesel fuel is not a major component in our operations in the bison industry. When it comes to grains and oilseeds, I think they would have a different view on that. If I'm allowed to switch hats here, I'm also a grains and oilseeds producer, and I certainly think that on our farm it would be beneficial.

Agriculture committee  I'll go back to your question on what you could do to help in terms of input costs. Tthe bison industry certainly doesn't face the same input costs that the grains and oilseed sector does, but where we could get the greatest benefit most certainly would be in regulatory changes.

Agriculture committee  That would mostly be just trim for ground product. That's what it would be.

Agriculture committee  Yes, but it all has to do with the way the U.S. treats bison. It's a complicated file, and that's probably why it's taking so long to have any changes made. Basically, what it does is bison trim out of Canada cannot go into the U.S. for further reprocessing unless it's mixed with 3% beef, pork, or chicken, and then it's no longer a pure product.

Agriculture committee  As I mentioned earlier, I think the government has a role to play in assisting developing industries such as ours. Certainly they've done that through some of the programs that are currently available, like the CAFI program and the other ruminant development program, but I think they can be of major assistance to us when it comes to some of the regulatory changes that we need, not only within Canada but also with some of our trading partners.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's certainly a pleasure to be able to attend this session. For a small industry with not a lot of financial resources, the ability to make this presentation in our own backyard is very welcome. Just as a little bit of background on the bison industry, although bison are certainly not new to North America, the commercial industry is less than 20 years old.