March 7, 2019 – At the Canadian Crops Convention in Montreal, the Canola Council of Canada met with Canada’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau and with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to stress the importance and urgency of responding to China’s decision to restrict imports of Canadian canola from one company amid concerns about certain pests.
“The canola value chain is concerned about how Chinese restrictions impact our growers and the entire industry,” says Jim Everson, president of the Canola Council. “It’s important to resolve the issue quickly so we can resume stable trade that benefits both countries.”
Minister Bibeau indicated that China’s decision to suspend canola seed exports from one company remains a top priority of the Government of Canada. Plant health experts are working with China to resolve concerns raised about pests as soon as possible.
“If China’s concern is with specific quality issues, we should be able to resolve it quickly,” says Everson. “We have full confidence in the quality of Canadian canola exports and our quality assurance systems.”
Demand for high quality oil and protein remains strong in China, and Canada remains a reliable and sustainable supplier of food to the Chinese market. China is an important market for Canada’s canola industry, as approximately 40% of our exports of canola and canola products are consumed there. According to Statistics Canada, 2018 canola seed exports to China were worth $2.7 billion.
The Canola Council of Canada is a full value chain organization representing canola growers, processors, life science companies and exporters. Keep it Coming 2025 is the strategic plan to ensure the canola industry’s continued growth, demand, stability and success – achieving 52 bushels per acre to meet global market demand of 26 million metric tonnes by the year 2025.
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Media may contact:
Heidi Dancho, Director, Communications
danchoh@canolacouncil.org
For more information on trade with China, check out our centralized resource for common questions and updates: Canola & China – What growers should know
