Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz last week announced he has pried open another small international market for Canadian beef exports to the Middle East.
He suggested the next trade priority will offer a more significant export target of convincing Mexico to accept cattle or products from cattle older than 30 months for the first time since 2003.
Last week, the minister was on a three-country Middle East tour where Saudi Arabia agreed to accept boneless beef from Canadian cattle younger than 30 months. Negotiations continue to open entirely a market that was worth $6 million before BSE in 2003.
Read Also
Interest in biological crop inputs continues to grow
It was only a few years ago that interest in alternative methods such as biologicals to boost a crop’s nutrient…
During the trip to the Middle East, Ritz also affirmed an agreement with Jordan to fully open its $1 million market. Canadian beef has not been sold to Jordan since 1998.
Ritz said during a Feb. 17 phone news conference that the Middle East, with its growing tourist, hotel and restaurant industries, represents an important growth opportunity for beef exporters.
“This part of the world is short on good farmland and there is a huge demand for top quality imported foods,” he said. “Canada’s agriculture and seafood exports to the Middle East and North Africa already exceed $3 billion and they are looking for the kind of quality and diversity in food products that Canada can deliver on time and on spec.”
Ritz said his international trade effort to open beef markets, a priority on his agenda, was set by the cattle industry.
“We’re working from a list that the Canadian Cattlemen’s and the Canadian Beef Export Federation have given us,” he said in response to a question about whether opening a $1 million market for a multibillion-dollar industry is worth the investment of travel expense and time.
“As quick as we can get to these countries, we keep checking them off our list.”
He said his next trade target is much more significant.
“We’re pressing Mexico very hard to start allowing in the older animals, over 30 months,” said Ritz. “We are hopefully going to be there next on their agenda.”
The agriculture minister also said that if the final legislation on the United States country-of-origin labelling rule continues to discriminate against Canadian product, the Canadian government will act.
He said U.S. president Barack Obama’s administration has a chance to make COOL less trade distorting.
“But having said that, at the end of the day should the Obama administration continue on with protectionism and country-of-origin labelling, we will then reignite our (World Trade Organization) challenge,” he told reporters.
