CCA Participates in Agricultural Trade Mission to China

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Vice President David Haywood-Farmer and Executive Vice President Dennis Laycraft travelled to Beijing recently as part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s agricultural trade mission to China

by Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA)

The Government of Canada trade mission featured a series of promotional events and meetings that raised the profile of Canadian agricultural products to Canada’s second-most valuable agri-food export market. The CCA participated in Beijing portion of the three-city mission, or three days of the 10-day tour to China.

“The Chinese middle class is several times larger than the entire Canadian population and growing, and their demand for beef is also growing with it”

 

China is an important market for Canadian beef, even with beef exports currently limited to frozen boneless beef, and the bone-in access approved in principle last year still subject to establishing the documentation requirements. Efforts to expand access to Canadian fresh-chilled beef, and to formalize the documentation to enable bone-in beef trade continue, were the focus of the CCA’s participation on the trade mission.

Annual Canadian beef exports to China have been growing since access was established in 2012. In 2016, $61 million of Canadian beef was exported to China, a value on track to approach $100 million this year.

Haywood-Farmer noted the potential for Canadian beef in China is immense. “The Chinese middle class is several times larger than the entire Canadian population and growing, and their demand for beef is also growing with it.”

The three-city mission will help Canada reach its goal of growing global agri-food exports to $75 billion by 2025 by providing Canadians and processors new opportunities to grow their businesses.