Agriculture minister meets with Chinese officials

The Agriculture and Agri-Food minister has returned from China where his agenda included meeting with Chinese and Canadian industry leaders.

Heath MacDonald said it was a part of the federal government’s efforts to expand opportunities for Canadian agriculture.

“China remains an important market for Canadian exporters and being there allowed me to meet face-to-face with my counterparts, listen to our stakeholders, and see the opportunities and challenges firsthand,” MacDonald said. “I’m committed to keeping the conversation going and looking for ways to support our hardworking farmers and producers.”

MacDonald met with senior government officials to bring up Canada’s trade priorities and broaden opportunities for deepened cooperation.

In Beijing, he met with the Minister of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), Sun Meijun. The ministers emphasized shared priorities in animal health, plant health, and food safety. They agreed to renew the Memorandum of Understanding between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the GACC and increase technical collaboration.

MacDonald also met with Huang Sanwen, President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). The discussion focused on increasing institutional agricultural collaboration between Canada and China in areas of sustainability and global food security.

MacDonald delivered remarks at the opening of the Canadian Meat Advocacy Office, where he highlighted the legacy of trust the industry has built with Chinese consumers. He emphasized the value of the office, which will give the sector on-site presence in China to better work with local intermediaries in securing access for Canadian meat products.