Minister MacAulay completes ag trade mission in Vietnam and India

Mar 15, 2017

Agricultural exports of certain products to Vietnam could be worth $190 million

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay recently wrapped up an agricultural trade mission that took him to Vietnam and India.

During his time in Vietnam, Minister MacAulay promoted Canadian grains and oilseeds, livestock genetics, blueberries, and lobster. He also participated in events designed to showcase Canadian beef.

It’s estimated exports of those products to Vietnam could be worth $190 million to the Canadian economy.

As of 2015, Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports totaled $357 million to Vietnam. Non-durum wheat, other than seed for sowing, was worth $86 million in ag exports in 2015.

While in India, Minister MacAulay was joined by an agricultural delegation to promote Canadian products and producers.

He secured several memoranda of understanding between Canadian canola distributors and Indian retailers.

In 2015, Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports to India totaled nearly $1.5 billion. Dried lentils accounted for 62 per cent, or $964 million worth, of ag exports to India.

And as India and Vietnam's populations and economies grow, it’s a prime opportunity for Canadian agriculture.

"Canada is committed to expanding global trade opportunities in Asia and around the world,” Minister MacAulay said in a release. “Vietnam and India have seen rapid economic growth in recent years, and the emergence of a vibrant consumer middle class in both countries represents new opportunities for Canadian agri-food producers that will strengthen bilateral trade, benefit the middle class, and grow the Canadian economy."

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.