Agreement secured by federal government
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
In an effort to expand Canada’s agricultural reach on the international stage, the federal government has secured access for British Columbia’s blueberries in China.
"This is great news for B.C.'s world-class blueberries,” said International Trade Minister Ed Fast. “Our government's top priority is to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians, including British Columbians. This market access win to the most populous country in the world is another example of how our government's pro-trade plan is getting results for Canadian businesses, workers and their families."
Inspectors from China, one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide, are expected to visit Canada during the summer to carry out pre-shipment inspections and authorize the first shipments.
Once the agreement is in full swing, it’s estimated that the access to the Chinese market could be worth about $65 million annually and help the province’s economy.
“I want to congratulate the governments of Canada and China on reaching the important initialling stage,” said British Columbia Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick. “Building markets for B.C. products is part of the B.C. government’s efforts to encourage young farmers to enter the profession, support food security in our province, and grow B.C.’s agrifood revenues to $14 billion a year by 2017."
Not only are blueberries Canada’s largest fruit export, but British Columbia produces the most highbush blueberries in the world. In 2014, the province produced more than 65,000 tonnes of blueberries, worth about $110 million.
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