Canola Council Looking For Science-Based Resolution To Richardson-China Issue

The Canola Council of Canada says they're confident in the safety and quality of Canadian canola.

Earlier this week, it was reported China has stopped importing canola from Canadian agribusiness, Richardson International.

The Council's Vice President of Public Affairs, Brian Innes, says China has raised concern about pest, or weeds, they believe to have found in canola shipments.

Innes says they would like to see a science-based resolution to this issue.

"Perhaps there's a misunderstanding, or a misinterpretation, of what's been found," Innes says. "We believe that those types of issues can be resolved quickly with scientific discussions between our two countries."

He adds, to their understanding, there's been significant action undertaken by the Canadian Government and experts at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to examine the quality of Canadian canola and reach out to the Chinese for scientific dialogue.

Innes says the Canola Council met with Canada's Ag Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Christia Freeland, who say it's a top priority for the Federal Government.

The Council says demand for high quality oil and protein remains strong in China, and Canada is still a reliable and sustainable supplier of food to the Chinese market.