Our cattle and beef sector has been getting a rough ride internationally, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is working overtime to set the record straight by promoting the quality and safety of Canadian products.

Our government knows that profit margins increase in lockstep with market access. That’s why we have opened beef markets in Colombia, Jordan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia and expanded key export opportunities for Canadian beef in Hong Kong through ministerial missions abroad. We also increased access for Canadian beef and genetics for a potential value estimated to be worth up to $72 million.

The government is working to open and expand additional key markets around the world for Canadian beef through ministerial missions to Washington, Mexico, Cuba, Japan,, Korea, India, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Peru, and the European Union. We also launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement process to deal with the United States government’s mandatory Country of Origin Labelling rules on October 7.

Following numerous efforts to regain access to the Korean beef market, including ministerial interventions, Canada launched a WTO dispute settlement process earlier this summer, as well. The WTO Dispute Settlement Body accepted Canada’s request to establish a dispute settlement panel to review Korean measures affecting the importation of bovine meat and Canadian meat products.

Our government is also working with European Union officials to identify a possible compensation agreement to the long-standing beef hormones dispute and consulting with the cattle industry to ensure its interests are addressed as part of any agreement. And, we launched the Trade and Market Development Program, including $88 million for the AgriMarketing initiative, to enhance the marketing capacity and competitiveness of the Canadian agriculture, agri-food, fish and seafood sectors.

This government understands the needs of farmers and food producers. We are providing an expected total of $1 billion to livestock producers, primarily for cattle and hogs, under AgriStability and AgriInvest for the 2008 and 2009 program years. We amended the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act to provide for emergency advances to be issued for “severe economic hardship” of up to $400,000, based upon the expected production of a producer, in 2008-09. We also issued some $634 million in emergency and regular advances to eligible cattle and hog producers.

We will continue to help farmers and producers compete on the world stage.

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