A trade mission to India and Bangladesh led by the Saskatchewan government and featuring agricultural exporters has resulted in a memorandum of understanding to facilitate trade.
The Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership signed the MOU on mutual co-operation with the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
The agreement promotes expanded trade and possible joint ventures.
“(It) further leverages established trade and economic relations between the countries and further promotes opportunities for the expansion of trade and business relations between the province of Saskatchewan and Bangladesh,” said STEP chief executive officer Lionel LaBelle in a statement.
Deputy agriculture minister Alanna Koch said the mission has gone well, with the government providing the high-level engagement some countries require.
She said Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and STEP asked the government to be there to promote the province, particularly in the pulse sector.
“What our industry is saying is they have been significant players in this part of the world for years,” she said from Asia. “They think there’s tremendous opportunity for growth.… The reality is in many cases this part of the world looks to government to set the right tone and get the message out.”
India produces slightly more than 17 million tonnes of pulses but has a demand of 21 million tonnes, she said. Saskatchewan is selling 1.5 million tonnes to the country now.
“What we’re saying is we need to fill that gap,” Koch said.
Bangladesh is the province’s second largest pulse export market.
“The livelihoods of 18,000 Saskatchewan farm families are directly dependent on these markets,” said premier Brad Wall.
