Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Members of the committee, thank you for having us here today.

My name is Stéphanie Levasseur. I am pleased to be here as an apple producer in Frelighsburg, in southern Quebec, and as the second general vice-president of the Union des producteurs agricoles.

The UPA represents more than 42,000 farmers, who operate nearly 29,000 businesses throughout Quebec. It represents all sectors of agricultural production, and its members are active in local, national and international markets.

As you know, the economic contribution of agriculture and forestry is undeniable. In 2023, agricultural businesses generated total revenues of $13 billion, making agriculture the largest primary sector activity in Quebec. In addition, according to a study produced by our economists in 2022, the growth potential of the agricultural sector is estimated at 23% by 2030, 4% higher than the Quebec economy as a whole. These few figures clearly show the importance to be placed on agriculture and the consequences that certain decisions can have on this key sector of our economy.

The first topic I want to talk to you about is grade crossing upgrades. As my colleague Mr. Spoelstra said, on November 28, less than three weeks from now, all crossings under federal jurisdiction will have to comply with the grade crossing regulations.

CN has identified a limited number of private crossings that still require significant upgrade investments to meet these regulations.

In accordance with the current regulations, the costs will have to be borne by the producers who use the crossings. As previously mentioned, the estimated costs are $600,000 to $2 million for each of these crossings. Added to that is an annual cost of up to $10,000 to maintain the equipment.

You will understand that these amounts greatly exceed the financial capacity of the farmers concerned. In the absence of viable solutions, the only option may be to close the crossings, making some of the landowners' agricultural and forestry lands completely inaccessible. That would be unacceptable and would cause considerable harm to the affected producers.

CN informs us that, with the help of experts in the field, it has found replacement measures with equivalent safety benefits and at significantly lower costs for a number of agricultural level crossings. In light of this information, the UPA, along with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and, more broadly, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, supports CN's initiative to obtain regulatory exemptions for these grade crossings.

The exemptions are all the more critical given that the rail safety improvement program, or RSIP, has not been accepting new proposals since 2022 for projects aimed at improving rail safety at grade crossings and along railway tracks. While we strongly encourage the Government of Canada to recapitalize the OSAP to cover the costs of upgrading, maintaining and modifying private grade crossings, we are well aware that any new funding will not be available in time to meet the end-of-the-month deadline, as stipulated in the regulations. Hence the importance of granting regulatory exemptions.

I also wanted to draw your attention to the crucial importance of maintaining efficient and fluid rail services for the transportation of agri-food products, including inputs to agricultural production such as seeds, fertilizers and equipment. Rail disruptions are a strategic issue for the agriculture and agri-food sector. Delays in the delivery of our agricultural products have serious consequences for farm businesses and, by extension, the entire agri-food industry, not to mention the direct impact on consumers.

The farm propane crisis, which occurred in November 2019, is a prime example. At the time, rail transportation in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada was interrupted by a strike. As a result, the supply of propane, which is essential for a number of agricultural uses, including grain drying during harvest, was severely affected. The propane shortage particularly affected Quebec farmers. The crisis revealed the significant dependence of Quebec agriculture on rail transportation for the supply of propane, among other items, and raised questions about supply chain resilience.

During the pandemic, we saw how much our resilience depends on a stable and reliable supply chain. The agricultural sector, already facing financial and climate challenges, cannot afford to have its access to rail transportation compromised. The current situation calls for urgent action to ensure that the transportation of essential goods, particularly those related to agriculture, is protected and prioritized.

In conclusion, we applaud the fact that the members of this committee have taken the initiative to focus on this issue. We hope that the committee's recommendations will help adapt existing regulations and programs to the reality of Canadian society today.

Thank you.