Saskatchewan's Minister of Agriculture says the completion of agreements that will maintain and expand opportunities to move Canadian agricultural products into foreign markets is critical the province's prosperity.
Canada's Federal, Provincial and Territorial Agriculture Ministers met late last month in Calgary to discuss planning for Canada's next Agricultural Policy Framework.
Discussions touched on a wide range of issues, including business risk management, science and technology, maintaining public trust and trade.
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart says, as far as trade, market access, market development and trade policy are high priorities for the province and trade agreements such as the 12 nation Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement involving Canada and Europe or CETA are extremely important.
Lyle Stewart-Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister:
For Saskatchewan and western Canada's agricultural industries trade is everything.
Only five percent roughly of what we produce in this province is consumed in Canada so without trade we don't have agriculture.
It's just as simple as that.
CETA and TPP trade agreements are absolutely critical for our survival let alone our prosperity.
It's all or nothing for us.
We're all in on trade.
We have to have it, we have to expand it if we're going to continue to maintain and to grow our industry.
It's just as simple as that and that was huge for us.
Stewart acknowledges, while the discussion were very preliminary, the mood among the agriculture ministers attending the meeting was cooperative.
He plans to continue consultations with agricultural groups and industry stakeholders within his province in preparation for the next gathering of Canada's Agriculture Ministers.
Source : farmscape.ca