On April 1, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr were in Saskatoon where they met with agricultural industry leaders and their provincial counterparts to discuss priorities for Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector, including canola exports.
Bibeau and Carr took the opportunity to meet with Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister, David Marit, and Minister of Trade and Export Development Jeremy Harrison, to discuss key trade issues, outline opportunities for collaborative engagement with China and hear the views of their provincial colleagues.
The ministers hosted a roundtable with representatives from the canola sector, where they reaffirmed the Government of Canada’s commitment to work through all available channels to resolve the disruption of Canada’s canola seed exports to China as quickly as possible.
The ministers held a roundtable with key agricultural stakeholders from the grains, pulses, and special crops sector to discuss opportunities and challenges, and how to continue building an even stronger and more innovative agricultural sector for Saskatchewan.
The ministers also met with other agricultural industry groups to discuss various topics of importance to the sector, including export opportunities, research and trade diversification in global markets.
Canadian and Chinese officials are actively engaging and the federal government is looking at sending a high-level delegation to China to find a technical solution.
“The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about China’s notices of non-compliance and strengthened inspection measures on Canadian canola seed. Canadian farmers can be assured that the Government of Canadastands firmly behind them and is working hard to secure unrestricted market access for Canada’s high-quality canola and to open new markets for our agricultural products,” Bibeau says in a statement.
