Minister Ritz Recaps on Agricultural Trade Trip to China

Jun 14, 2013

Minister Ritz Recaps on Agricultural Trade Trip to China

Federal Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz says that Canada continues to strengthen our agricultural trade ties to Hong Kong and China.

"Our Government is committed to working with our trading partners from Hong Kong and China, to generate economic growth and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific," said Minister Ritz.

During Minister Ritz’s most recent trade mission, he emphasised Canada’s commitment to doubling trade by 2015. In particular, the two governments discussed increasing Canadian beef and tallow exports to China. Tallow, a fatty substance rendered from animal fat commonly used in soap and animal feed, is estimated to be worth $110 million.

In addition to discussing increasing trade, Minister Ritz also signed two agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which aims to create an animal health working group. The second agreement signed was on Grain and Oilseeds which seeks to provide enhanced market access to Canadian wheat, barley and soybeans.

Minister Ritz touted the success of a newer market access achievement for fresh cherry exports from B.C to China, with growth expected to increase to $30 million over the next 5-years.

This trip follows through on several request made by Canadian industry groups to grow the country’s presence in Asian markets.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.