The federal agriculture and trade ministers will appear at hearing to talk about China’s restrictions of canola exports
Canada’s ministers of agriculture and international trade are scheduled to appear before a House of Commons committee in early April to address China’s ban on canola imports from Richardson International.
The ban has cost farmers $1 billion already through declining prices, the international trade committee heard during an emergency meeting March 17, and some members want to hear what the government is doing about it.
“I want to see a game plan,” said committee member and Saskatchewan Conservative MP Randy Hoback.
He said the problem is clearly political.
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Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Trade Minister Jim Carr issued a joint statement March 18 saying they stand behind Canadian farmers and were working to ensure market access.
“We continue to engage with Chinese officials in order to find a science-based solution to this issue as quickly as possible,” they said.
China revoked Richardson’s licence March 1 citing pests in shipments.
The ministers said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has investigated and found none of the pests Chinese officials said had been detected.
“After CFIA requests for information and engagement, customs China responded late last week and provided some initial technical information that was requested by CFIA,” said the statement. “Canadian plant health experts will continue to engage with their Chinese counterparts in the coming days.”
Opposition members of the international trade committee, who brought the issue forward after agriculture committee members could not obtain enough signatures to force a meeting, said they would like to hear from the ministers as soon as possible.
This week is largely taken up with the federal budget, and Parliament does not sit the week of March 25.
Hoback said Canada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou following an extradition request by the United States, and farmers are paying the price.
“I think everybody around this room understands our canola is the safest in the world,” he said during a rare Sunday committee meeting. “We have to have a political answer to it.”
His motion requested Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland also appear, but the Liberal majority amended it to exclude her and subsequently that motion passed.
Hoback said he doesn’t understand why the Liberals blocked Freeland’s appearance considering she has the lead in the absence of an ambassador to China.
Manitoba MP Larry Maguire said companies are concerned about non-compliance orders coming back to CFIA.
“I understand there’s been 10 or 11 of them since the first of December,” he said.
Hoback said the government has to have a plan before more commodities are affected.
There are already rumours that malt contracts have been affected, he said.
He and Alberta MP John Barlow said the matter has already cost farmers $1.2 billion.
Canola is a $27-billion industry in Canada, Hoback told the committee, supporting 250,000 jobs and $11.2 billion in wages and generating a quarter of farm cash receipts. About 43,000 farmers grow the crop and 90 percent of it is exported.
About 40 percent of Canadian canola exports go to China.
Conservative agriculture critic Luc Berthold said the issue can’t be ignored with the hope it will magically be resolved. He said if committee members could attend a Sunday meeting then perhaps the ministers could appear sooner.
“This is an urgent crisis, Mr. Chair,” he said. “We cannot allow other potential threats.…We are here 24/7 ready to welcome these ministers.”
Departmental officials and possibly industry representatives could appear at the next scheduled committee meeting March 21.
