The lifting of the ban, which has been in place since April 2007, will be worth an estimated $8 million annually to Canadian cattle producers, and means that Canada can now export breeding cattle from all provinces to Russia.
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said that the deal was “excellent news” for the region’s cattle industry, and demonstrated“Canada’s increasingly strong trade relationship with Russia”.
Trade minister of international trade Ed Fast added that it would mean “greater prosperity and financial security for hardworking British Columbians and their families”.
The news has been welcomed by Canada’s cattle industry. Canadian Cattlemen’s Association president Martin Unrau said: “Russia is an important market for Canadian breeding cattle. We congratulate minister Ritz for this latest market access win, which will benefit Canadian producers by increasing our ability to supply that market.”
Swine investment
Meanwhile, the Canadian government has also announced investments in pork export activity in a bid to help producers become more competitive on the world stage.
The Canadian Swine Exporters Association (CSEA) will receive nearly CAD$900,000 to participate in international trade shows and trade missions, and develop swine genetics to improve meat quality, feed efficiency, environmental performance and biosecurity.
“Significant investments in our foreign markets help the CSEA achieve our long term marketing goals,” said Rosemary Smart, CSEA executive director. “We appreciate that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is able to provide funding that helps our industry grow forward in the global marketplace.”
MP Dave MacKenzie, who announced the funding on behalf of minister Ritz, said: “This investment will help our swine export industry showcase top-quality Canadian genetics around the world, helping them capture new markets and increase profits for our pork producers.”
