Transport committee  We look at the revenue entitlement; it's what they can charge us to move grain. It isn't a cap. It's based upon volumes moved per year and volume miles moved per year. It's not truly a cap on revenue; it's an entitlement they have to move the grain that we produce to export position.

Transport committee  We agree. We support a solid service-level agreement process from the shippers and our grain companies. We need to manage the guys dealing directly with the railroads. Because of their small volumes, our short lines have a real challenge to come up with good service-level agreements.

Transport committee  Truthfully, I think that everyone within this grain value chain here realizes that there needs to be a profit. If the rates are set when legislation is put in and then the costs go up and railways are losing money moving that grain, that's a challenge to us. We can't have any part of the chain in a negative position because it will break the chain.

Transport committee  An issue that we've identified through our organization is the fact of the long-term viability of—and as you said, stewardship of—the transportation system. Whether it's replenishing the hopper cars that are there today, or maintenance of short lines and sidings that we can use for producer car loadings, all those things are integral to a strong transportation system for grain out of western Canada.

Transport committee  I'm not getting any translation here.

Transport committee  Where I live in central Alberta, it's very much an oil-dependent part of the province and the country. We've seen huge infrastructure developments by the oil and gas industry to ship by rail—100 or 120 car loading spots to ship oil. Those are not built inexpensively without a lot of planning for future use, so I expect to see that as our economy turns around—and it will turn around—we will see an increase from the other sectors, and we will get a higher demand for the infrastructure from the railways.

Transport committee  I guess for us it's important. As Jean-Marc said, we are great growers of grain and providers to the grain companies, and it's really their commercial decision to move east or west. From our perspective, as Jean-Marc said, we're competing in a world market. We have to provide these products to the end market at a fair price, so whichever way makes the best sense, I guess, is the best sense, in my pocketbook, in western Canada.

Transport committee  I believe that we will see better logistics this time around. I think it's a matter of time. Everyone throughout the grain transportation and grain value chain here learned from 2013, from Richardson and the grain companies, understanding what grain we need at the ports to meet those demands, to the railways making sure we get there.

Transport committee  Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to come this morning to speak to the committee about Bill C-30. My name is Humphrey Banack. I'm vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. I'm a grains and oilseeds farmer in central Alberta. Transportation is critical to our family operation there.

Agriculture committee  Absolutely, the development of varieties that deal with this, with drought resistance.... As Doug said, we're coming to the time when we're seeding corn and soybeans in southern Manitoba and southern Alberta. A climate change forum I sat with yesterday talked about how climate change is affecting our producers across this country.

Agriculture committee  I'll talk to the advanced payments program. Farm sizes are growing immensely. Our farm was 2,000 acres at the turn of the century, and we're at over 5,000 acres today. Our plan is to be at 7,500...and 10,000 acres in 10 years. The advance payments program is a very important part of that operation to maintain the opportunity for us to sell when markets are right, and that's the biggest part of it.

Agriculture committee  The Oceanic countries, Australia and New Zealand, went to plant breeders’ rights and end point royalties many years ago. They're saying we seem to be missing a huge opportunity with end point royalties. They've developed many farmer-owned plant breeding companies to develop seeds and move theirs forward.

Agriculture committee  Yes. For producers already receiving advances near $400,000, transportation challenges and banks' reluctance to increase farm debt illustrate the benefit of an increase to the limit come seeding time. An increase to the interest-free and interest-bearing limits that recognize the increases in farm input prices will ensure that the program maintains its utility moving forward.

Agriculture committee  Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I'm pleased to be here on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to speak to you today about Bill C-18, the agricultural growth act. My name is Humphrey Banack. I'm a grains and oilseeds producer from Alberta and vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

Agriculture committee  Yes. The bill outlines a sunset date of 2016. We realize this is a medium-term solution. The order in council was a short-term solution, and we have to build beyond that. The long-term solution, as you said, is a review of the Canada Transportation Act. That, as we understand it, will be accelerated to probably start in June of this coming year.