WINNIPEG – Marlene Cowling took a little bit of the Prairies to Taiwan this month on a parliamentary trade mission.
The Manitoba MP took samples of grains and oilseeds from her hometown of Grandview, Man. elevator, and pulses from the Manitoba Pulse Growers’ Association.
And Cowling said she brings encouraging news back from the rapidly expanding marketplace in the Pacific Rim country
Taiwanese businesses are showing interest in Canadian agricultural products, she said.
Cowling and five other MPs met with You-Sheng Wang, the chair of the country’s chamber of commerce, who also owns a flour, seed and vegetable oil corporation.
Interest in wheat
Wang is already trading with the United States, but Cowling said he’s keen on looking at Canadian products, particularly wheat.
“He has a background in agriculture himself, so he’s been really close to the agricultural sector and understands it.”
The MPs also met with the president of Taiwan, the minister of finance, the council of agriculture and trade and several development organizations.
