“We are closing some agricultural research centres to save money and focus on research rather than aging buildings. Every province will still have at least one centre, and the scientific work will continue at other sites. At the same time, we are investing billions of dollars to help farmers grow more food, improve supply chains, and make food more affordable.”

“Mr. Speaker, of course, in order to deliver on our commitment to Canadians to reduce government operating expenses, we need to reduce overhead and make our operations more efficient. AAFC regularly reviews its programs to ensure that they remain relevant and effective. That is what our department did by taking the exercise a bit further as part of the comprehensive expenditure review. The subsequent decision to close certain research centres reflects a deliberate shift to prioritize investments in research activities and expertise over investments and spending on aging facilities. I would like to clarify something my colleague said in his original question. We are not closing experimental farms in every province. In fact, every province will still have at least one Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research centre, allowing AAFC to maintain a strong presence across the country while addressing both regional and national priorities. AAFC will, of course, continue to carry out scientific research that delivers significant benefits for crops, horticulture, livestock production, food processing, food safety, biodiversity and sustainable development, as my colleague rightly pointed out. The closure of a particular site does not mean that the scientific work that was conducted there will come to an end. Our government has identified measures to maximize the efficiency of our operations, including the relocation of certain key scientific positions and activities to other sites to ensure research continuity. We are also taking concrete action to strengthen food security and affordability in Canada. Earlier this year, our Prime Minister unveiled the first national food security strategy, backed by an investment of $3.2 billion over the next 10 years. This is a first. It will will help increase the production of food grown here, which will then transported and sold through more efficient and cost-effective supply chains. In October, we also announced the $1‑billion food-link fund, once again to strengthen food distribution infrastructure and improve connections between producers and markets, with a view to improving affordability. This means more competition in the retail food sector and more choice for consumers and producers. Once again, we are investing $1 billion in the agri-food project finance fund through Farm Credit Canada’s agri-food projects to help the processing sectors innovate, grow and strengthen Canada’s food system. Just last week, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced a strategy to boost agriculture in controlled environments. This involves more than $750 million, again, in investments over the next seven years to double the year-round production of fruit and vegetables in greenhouses, vertical farms and other spaces across Canada. I would like to point out that AAFC will always continue with scientific activities that strengthen the sector’s resilience, sustainability and competitiveness. These values lie at the heart of our government’s mandate.”

“Farming research does not depend only on the federal department. Provinces, universities, Indigenous groups, and private companies also support it. The federal government will keep working with these partners to fund research on crops like grains, oats, barley, and wheat.”

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to add that the vitality of agricultural research in Canada does not depend solely on AAFC. It is supported by broad and diverse ecosystems that include provincial and territorial governments, as well as universities, colleges, indigenous groups, and research organizations led by producers and private sector innovators. As Canada’s largest agricultural science organization, AAFC will continue to play a central role in this ecosystem to ensure that publicly funded scientific research is aligned, complementary, and tailored to current and future needs. I happened to attend a recent announcement at Céréla. The government was making an announcement about a partnership with the private sector to continue research on grains, oats, malting barley, and wheat. There will be research projects, as well as public-private partnerships.”