Gerry Ritz Leads Delegation to China to Promote Canadian Agriculture

Jun 16, 2014

Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is leading a delegation of more than 70 members to China this week to promote Canadian agricultural products.

About 30 agricultural groups and representatives from four provinces will be in attendance, making it the largest agricultural trade mission of its kind.

In 2013, Canadian agricultural exports to China accounted for about $5.2-billion, which represents roughly five per cent of China’s imports. But Ritz hopes to double or triple that number.

Currently, the most significant portion of Canadian agricultural export sales to China are canola products, which makes up half of all agricultural exports. In 2013 canola sales generated approximately $2.83-billion.

The trade mission is particularly important for the Canadian meat industry, who are looking for more market opportunities, as the U.S. country-of-origin (COOL) meat labelling rules have made it difficult to export Canadian livestock products south of the boarder. And since COOL was first introduced in 2008, it has reduced Canadian meat exports by half.

Ritz would like to see meat shipments to China expanded. At this time, only boneless beef from animals under 30 months of age are accepted. China is expected to double its global beef imports over the next five years, making it an even more attractive market.

The same is true for the Canadian pork industry. In 2013 pork sales to China topped a quarter of a billion dollars. Chair of the Canadian Pork Council, Jean-Guy Vincent, praised the federal government’s efforts to focus on expanding export markets for Canadian pork products.

Ritz is scheduled to deliver a keynote address to delegates of the World Meat Congress in Beijing.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.