{"id":222424,"date":"2019-07-10T23:13:17","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T03:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=222424"},"modified":"2019-07-10T23:13:17","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T03:13:17","slug":"ottawa-announces-8-3-million-to-support-beef-industry-amid-china-standoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/07\/10\/ottawa-announces-8-3-million-to-support-beef-industry-amid-china-standoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa announces $8.3 million to support beef industry amid China standoff"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Beef\"<\/a>
Bibeau said the announcement would have been made regardless of last month’s news that China is shutting out exports of all Canadian meat after inspectors detected a restricted feed additive residue in pork. A subsequent investigation found forged veterinary health certificates attached to the batch. (Photo: Changyoung Koh\/Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CALGARY — Canada’s beef industry is getting $8.3 million in federal funds, the bulk of it aimed at growing its international market reach as a trade standoff with China continues.<\/p>\n

The money is going to six different projects, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Wednesday during a visit to the Calgary Stampede.<\/p>\n

The biggest recipient is marketing organization Canada Beef, which is getting $5.3 million to grow sales internationally, in part by boosting foreign consumer confidence in Canada’s product.<\/p>\n

Bibeau said the announcement would have been made regardless of last month’s news that China is shutting out exports of all Canadian meat after inspectors detected a restricted feed additive residue in pork. A subsequent investigation found forged veterinary health certificates attached to the batch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to assure you we are working around the clock to resolve the matter,\u201d Bibeau said. \u201cWe all want the same thing: to resume trade with China as soon as possible and our ongoing conversations with Chinese officials are encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bibeau said her office is having almost daily conversations with Chinese officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have submitted a plan with short-term, long-term, medium-term measures to reassure our Chinese trading partner and we are hopeful they will re-open the market as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said it’s premature to discuss compensation for affected beef and pork producers.<\/p>\n

Michael Young, president of Canada Beef, welcomed the federal dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s tremendous news as it comes at a time when the Canadian beef industry really needs the investment to get into the markets we need to get into and to work with the end-user customers that are really looking for our product.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said China is Canada’s biggest growth market next to Japan for beef. There is also double-digit growth in the southeast Asian market.<\/p>\n

Young said he shares Bibeau’s optimism that the Chinese ban will be short-lived.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stand behind our system and it’s just a question of working with the Chinese regulators and officials to fully understand what happened,\u201d he said. \u201cWe find with these foreign countries, usually it’s a two-part thing: they really want to know what happened and what are you going to do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is getting $1.7 million from Ottawa to build public trust in their product globally through the Verified Beef Production Plus quality-assurance program.<\/p>\n

Executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft said it’s a practical investment in building Canadian brand confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t need large amounts of money to do that,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to spend it well, and that’s what these programs are about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laycraft said the beef industry has been hurt less by the Chinese ban than pork producers because it has a more diversified customer base. He said conversations over compensation would likely take place weeks or months from now if the issue isn’t resolved — and he’s optimistic it will be.<\/p>\n

He said he doesn’t get the sense that other diplomatic tensions — like the December arrest of a Chinese national, Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, in Vancouver — are playing into the meat export issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this stage it is focused on the science,\u201d said Laycraft.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone I’ve talked to says this feels like it’s a technical issue. It has a different feel to it, so I’m going to go with their assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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