DES MOINES, Iowa — Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay gave Canadian farmers and agriculture a big boost at this year’s World Pork Expo by touring the show, meeting American industry leaders and hosting a who’s-who of Iowa business leaders at a reception.
The visit by a Canadian agriculture minister to this event was the first in memory, and drew praise from Americans and Canadians for recognition of an industry that is a paragon of free trade success.
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“It’s an understatement to say we have a close relationship between the United States and Canada …. We have a long track record of being buyers and sellers of each other’s products and services on a daily basis,” said Iowa agriculture secretary Mike Naig as he welcomed MacAulay.
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“I think it’s astounding if you look at the numbers. There’s trust. There’s commonality. There’s certainly a similarity in culture.”
Conservative MP Ted Falk was also part of the delegation, along with the Canadian consul-general in Minneapolis, the Canadian honorary consul in Des Moines, and a number of other diplomatic and Agriculture Canada officials.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and other provincial hog producers and producer representatives followed MacAulay on a walkabout in which companies from Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec were shown to the minister as examples of Canadian high-tech achievement and business success.
The Canadian presence at the World Pork Expo is always huge, with dozens of companies operating booths in the sprawling trade show. Hundreds of Canadian farmers attend, and cross-border business deals are made throughout the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
The minister’s visit was organized by the Canadian consulate in Minneapolis, which promotes Canadian trade and business interests throughout the U.S. midwestern states and acts as a liaison between companies on both sides of the border and the federal bureaucracy in both countries.
MacAulay met with leaders of the U.S. National Pork Producers Council and with a number of directors and officials with the National Pork Board, with whom he discussed the back-and-forth trade of the North American hog business, especially the flow of piglets from Manitoba barns to Iowa and Minnesota.
It was a friendly visit. Canadian-born pigs having an excellent reputation in the Midwest due to their high health status.
MacAulay also found a strong advocate for cross-border trade in Naig, a vocal supporter of free trade with partners like Canada who obey the rules.
“Our trading relationship is a key component to prosperity on both sides of this border. … The Iowa trading relationship with Canada is immense. It’s essential to our economy,” Naig said.
He, MacAulay and World Food Prize Foundation president Terry Branstad spoke at a reception June 6. The cooperation of Canada, the U.S. and Britain on D-Day was repeatedly invoked as an example of the value of international friendships and alliances, in which like-minded nations can achieve bigger goals than any could independently achieve.
“Thank you for being here on this special day,” said Branstad. “We are pleased and honoured that you chose to come to Des Moines not only for the World Pork Expo but also to visit the World Food Prize building.”
Branstad was Donald Trump’s ambassador to China, following two stints as governor of Iowa, which saw him become the longest serving governor in U.S. history at 22 years.
The reception included dozens of senior Iowa and midwestern agriculture representatives, business leaders, politicians and government officials.
