An agreement reached between Manitoba and Egypt has stirred hopes Canadian canola products can one day flow into much of the Middle East.
A memorandum of understanding was penned earlier this year to develop a market for canola products in Egypt. The memorandum was signed in February, but was made public only recently.
The Canola Council of Canada views the agreement as a milestone in the bid to win acceptance of canola oil in the Middle East. There’s an opportunity to develop markets for both edible oil and protein meal, said Dale Adolphe, Canola Council president.
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It took more than a decade to convince the Egyptians that canola oil has health advantages. The Egyptian health minister was among those signing the memorandum, Adolphe said.
But Canadian canola oil will have to earn a place among the alternatives available to Egypt. The heavyweight contenders are soybean, sunflower and palm oil.
“At least it has potential,” said Adolphe, “whereas before, it was a market that wasn’t open to us.”
There are encouraging signs elsewhere in the Middle East. Iran recently came out with standards for canola and at least two other countries in the region have shown an interest.
Part of the memorandum calls for an exchange of information on canola. The Canola Council said it will help with that exchange in terms of promoting the merits of canola oil to Egypt’s food industry. However, the council will not share technology for growing the crop, Adolphe said.
Harry Enns, Manitoba’s agriculture minister, sees the memorandum of understanding as another building block in the province’s effort to establish more trade with the Middle East. Enns said a team of experts is being assembled to advise Egypt on things such as soil analysis and crop development for canola.
Since canola was developed in Canada and is best adapted for more northerly climates, it’s uncertain how much success Egypt will have in growing the crop. Test plots are being planned in Egypt to learn more about it.
Egypt imports about 80 percent of its edible oil, Enns said. The country has a population of 62 million.
