Livestock producers will stand to benefit from expanded export opportunities introduced by the Government of Canada.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is taking the advice of the Beef-Cattle and Pork Value Chain Roundtables by enhancing export prospects for producers, processors and retailers. These roundtables were established by the federal government as a partnership to help farmers and producers meet the competitive challenges of the global marketplace.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Gerry Ritz is implementing two key recommendations, including the creation of a secretariat to facilitate market-access; and pursuing commercially-significant access to beef markets as a first step to full access, as recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health.

The roundtables are playing an important role in guiding this government’s continual work to open new markets. The new secretariat will help to coordinate government initiatives with the livestock industry to aggressively target new markets and keep pace with international competitors. A range of trade experts will provide input to promote Canadian agricultural exports around the world. The secretariat is designed to promote access to markets in the United States, Mexico, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

This government agrees with producers that Canada needs to get a foot in the door in many international markets while we remain committed to our goal to secure full access for Canadian beef products around the world. This government firmly believes that Canadian livestock producers can compete with anybody, anywhere, anytime. Our products are the best in the world and we deserve to reap the benefits of that quality by nailing down our share of the market.

“Canadian producers want to make their living in the marketplace and this government is working with them to tap new opportunities on the world stage,” explains minister Ritz. “The roundtables have provided excellent advice which will form the foundation of our continued work to open new markets and to level the playing field for our exports.”

The Value Chain Roundtables bring together agriculture and agri-food players from across the country and from various points in the value chain. They are driven by research that includes benchmarking their industries against other players in the increasingly competitive international marketplace. Canada’s eight value-chain roundtables include beef, special crops, seafood, pork, organic, oilseeds, horticulture and cereal grains.

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The audio version of Garry's January 19, 2009 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here