Back home and Canada’s Ag minister visits Washington I received a tweet from a friend after tweeting getting back home safe after two weeks on the road and putting on 5,000 km, where he asked if that is my vacation for the year. I told him, I need a holiday now, but no time because of more deadlines and winter meetings.

While at the Banff Pork Seminar, I also participated in a conference call with Canada ag minister Lawrence MacAulay as he discussed his first official meeting with Tom Vilsack, the U.S. secretary of agriculture discuss strengthening bilateral trading partnership, COOL and some other things.

Canada’s Agriculture Minister says the U.S. decision to repeal Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling for beef and pork removes long standing disputes and will benefit the industry on both sides of the Canada U.S. border.

MacAulay, in his first official visit to Washington recently met with his counterpart, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, with the goal of strengthening Canada’s long-standing, bilateral partnership with the United States, while advancing the interests of Canadian agricultural producers, processors and exporters.

Canada Ag minister says discussions revolved around a shared commitment to growing agricultural trade between the two countries.

“Secretary Vilsack and I had a very productive relationship so far and I’m looking forward to building on that,” he said on his opening statement. “Canada deeply values agricultural trade relations with the United States. We are an integrated market which serves both countries well.

In 2014 we shared $50 billion dollars in agricultural food trade. Canada exports over half of that to the U.S. That is over $1 million dollars in agriculture and food trade every day. The government of Canada is committed to keeping this relationship strong.” MacAulay says Prime Minister Trudeau has asked him to work hard to make the relationship with the U.S. more effective.

“Our government is very pleased with the U.S.’s decision to repeal COOL for beef and pork,” he said. “The resolution removes significant longstanding disputes between our two countries. It will allow industry on both sides to reap benefits off our integrated markets. We can look forward to restoration of our integrated supply chain for beef and pork. The government of Canada strongly supports free trade as a way to open markets and create good paying jobs for Canadians. As partners, as good neighbors, Canada and the U.S. must bolster cooperation.”

MacAulay says, through the new Canadian government’s renewed focus on this relationship, Canada’s farmers and food processors can look forward to the opportunities to come.

This was my first news conference call with the new minister of Ag. I find it intriguing how he and Canada’s new Liberal government feel they will do even better in trade with the U.S. “A renewed focus on this relationship, Canada’s farmers and food processors can look forward to the opportunities to come.”

I wonder what opportunities MacAulay is referring to, and what it will mean for Canadian farmers and food processors. I’m all ears, and any improvement in that renewed relationship resulting in more trade for Canadian farmers and food processors will be welcomed indeed.

While listening to others ask questions, two stick out and the answers MacAulay gave. The first one, will the repeal actually happen and what if it should be voluntary COOL at the end of the day. Canada’s Ag minister says in no way shape or form does he and Canada support a voluntary COOL. The second question, did you discuss GMO labelling at all? Again MacAulay said, can’t recall, it wasn’t even on the table.

Good for him. •