On Thursday, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau met with the United States Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen.
Minister Bibeau expressed gratitude to Ambassador Cohen for the United States’ assistance in allowing trans-shipment of agri-food products through the United States in the wake of recent floods in British Columbia.
Bibeau emphasized the Government of Canada’s confidence in current risk mitigation measures for Prince Edward Island (PEI) fresh potatoes, and detailed the actions being taken to address the United States’ concerns. The Minister and the Ambassador discussed the benefits of resuming trade of fresh potatoes for both sides of the border, given that PEI potatoes are a staple for many families along the eastern seaboard and Puerto Rico.
Additionally, the Minister and the Ambassador took the opportunity to discuss efforts being undertaken to build resilience, address climate change, and support economic recovery. Recent extreme weather events and the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated how critical Canada-United States integrated supply chains are to ensuring a safe and secure supply of food for North America.
Bibeau concluded that she looks forward to continued engagement and collaboration with the United States to resume exports of PEI fresh potatoes and further strengthen the partnership between the two countries’ agricultural sectors.
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