The minister will promote Canadian ag and food products
The federal minister of agriculture is heading east.
Minister Heath MacDonald is traveling to Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines to promote Canadian ag in the Indo-Pacific region.
In 2023, Canada exported almost $23 billion of ag products to this part of the world.
The minister will meet with government officials, business leaders and other stakeholders to showcase Canadian ag and food products.
“Canada is a trusted supplier of sustainable, top-quality agricultural products that are in demand around the world,” Minister MacDonald said in a July 28 media advisory. “This trip is about promoting these products, advancing trade discussions, and building relationships that will create new opportunities for our hardworking producers back home.”
Canada has placed an emphasis on the Indo-Pacific region since 2022.
That November, the federal government announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy, highlighting the region’s potential because it “represents significant opportunities for growing the economy here at home, as well as opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses for decades to come.”
Part of this strategy included investing about $32 million over five years to establish the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office in Manila.
In December 2023, former Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay appointed Diedrah Kelly as the office’s executive director.
The ag office officially opened in February 2024.