By Sean PrattSaskatoon newsroomThe Conservative government is providing $7.8 million to the canola industry to fund a market access plan that will address current and future trade barriers for an industry that contributes $14 billion annually to the Canadian economy.JoAnne Buth, president of the Canola Council of Canada, said the money will be used to tackle issues like the Chinese ban on Canadian canola, which was sparked by Chinese concerns of blackleg disease. But the funds will also be used to get a jump on future barriers to trade.“Two to three years from now I think we’ll be able to say, ‘We know where the next one is coming from,” she said.The council is also contributing $1.2 million to a project designed to maintain market access for a crop where 90 percent of the production is exported.The first priority is restoring trade with China, a country that consumed 2.9 million tonnes or 36 percent of last year’s exports.“Our trade with China is still blocked. Last year, Canada sold $1.3 billion of canola seed to China. We need the Government of Canada’s continued full support to restore this trade,” said Buth.But the market access plan covers more than China. The council will spend the next four years developing country-specific plans for all of its key markets. Regulations will be examined, political winds will be sniffed and consumer concerns will be assessed to help predict and prevent future trade disruptions. Resources will also be devoted to informing Canada’s 50,000 canola growers how to keep their crops export-ready by avoiding certain pesticides and non-registered varieties.
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