Federal Agriculture Minister works on expanding Canadian markets

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay is back from a successful trip to the Indo-Pacific region.

The overall goal was to open doors for the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector in Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea. 

It's a key area as Canada exports nearly half of its agriculture production to the region and sees the potential for growth in that market.

In 2022, Canada's agriculture and agri-food exports to the Indo-Pacific region totaled $21.8 billion.

Studies estimate that by the year 2030, the Indo-Pacific region will likely make up to two-thirds of the middle class, and will have over half of the global GDP by 2040.

MacAulay met with key industry groups, facilitated new business opportunities and connections, and promoted Canada's high-quality agri-food products while engaging with local government representatives.

The Team Canada Trade Mission included 160 organizations with 17 of them coming from the ag sector. 

MacAulay says we've seen continued growth in Canadian agricultural exports from $56 billion in 2015 to over $92 billion this year.

His goal is to continue to grow our exports, and that starts with opening markets and creating opportunities.

As part of Canada's commitment to grow the market in that area, the government has committed to open its first-ever Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office in the Philippines. 

The office will help Canada engage with stakeholders, regulatory counterparts, and policy decision-makers as it looks to expand our presence in the area.