Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ag minister Gerry Ritz, among others travelled to China recently to do some business between the two countries. Much chattering amongst political commentators and others who care about the benefits and the timing of this trip occurred ahead of the trip.
To see the amount of Ag products, farm commodities, and other expertise the two countries exchange is quite impressive. Several Canadian provinces, both hog industry related do significant amounts of business in China. Both have headquarters in Manitoba.
It’s interesting that a flourishing hog industry in Manitoba crippled by excessive regulations has to take its business to a country like China, where those people for the most part welcome them with open arms.
Canada grows tonnes and tonnes of canola, processes half of it at home, namely Saskatchewan and Manitoba and ships out the other half as raw seed. For many years the industry called canola the Cinderella crop.
Amy McInnis, back in 2004 writes ‘The Transformation of Rapeseed into Canola: A Cinderella Story…
“From an obscure inedible oilseed, to a multi-billion dollar crop, hailed as having the healthiest edible oil on the market today, the transformation of rapeseed into the genetically improved canola is truly a “cinderella” story,” states McInnis.
Now people in China are benefiting from the humble beginning of the canola crop so many years ago.
Ag minister Ritz says he helped deepen the long-standing ties and bilateral relations that will advance the interests of Canadian agricultural producers, processors and exporters.
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) is quite happy to see Harper and Ritz sign an agreement to sell $1 billion of Canadian canola oil to China.
“This engagement with China at the highest political levels is very important to increasing export opportunities for Canadian canola,” says Patti Miller, CCC president. “China is one of our most important customers and this agreement ensures they will continue to be a very promising and consistent market.”
Miller says Harper and Chinese premier Li Keqiang establishing the China-Canada Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties between the two countries is a helpful step towards increased economic cooperation that could facilitate better market access for Canadian canola.
Canola is Canada’s number one agricultural export to China, valued at $2.83 billion in 2013. “Canadian canola also plays a significant role in China’s health and wealth,” said Miller.
Minister Ritz participated in meetings and seminars with Chinese government officials and members of industry to discuss the tremendous opportunities for trade between China and Canada.
While there, Ritz also helped to promote Canada’s high-quality beef and agricultural goods by participating in a special Canada Beef Inc. branding event in Guangzhou. Canada Beef Inc.’s recent footprint expansion in China aimed at solidifying the Canadian brand with the growing Chinese middle-class.
Since 2006 agriculture and seafood exports to China have increased more than five-fold to total $5.6 billion annually, making China the second most valuable market for Canadian agricultural exports.
In 2013, Canada exported $13.9 million of frozen blueberries to China.
“This mission has again strengthened Canada’s position as a strategic partner in China’s rapidly modernizing agriculture industry and helped to maximize the potential for Canadian industry’s success in this emerging economy,” said Ritz.  •
— By Harry Siemens