Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture is hopeful Canada will move forward with an 11 nation Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership is being negotiated by 11 of the original 12 Trans-Pacific Partnership members.
Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler told reporters on hand last week for Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon the Manitoba government is very supportive of the TPP and will continue to lobby to make sure that we’re able to capitalize on the opportunities an agreement will provide.
I think TPP should move forward. It’ll be without the United States obviously. I see that as an opportunity for us to capture more of the Asian market. In particular with the pork market and with the canola, also peas and beans, that’s another strong part of Manitoba’s exports so I see this as some market opportunities that we can capitalize.
I can’t see a lot of gains in regards to CETA, mainly because of the European organic mode that they’re in right now but certainly there will be some opportunities. Intellectual trade is part of that as well. We have a huge advantage on with intellectual trade and we should be capitalizing on that. Feed systems for one, land values and uses about how we can modernize farming. They have a longer growing season than what we have. Our farmers do very very well. In fact when I was over there I asked a farmer who was taking some of his beets off. I said, what’s your window? He said, we’ve got maybe two more months. In Manitoba we’ve got two weeks. We’ve got two weeks to get the crop in, two weeks to get the crop off so we’re every unique in Manitoba in regards to being innovative. So we have a lot of intellectual well being that we can capitalize on.
~ Ralph Eichler, Agriculture Minister, Manitoba
Eichler acknowledges he is concerned with the mixed messages the federal government is sending regarding the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
He says any time you’re off script you’re faltering and suggests the federal government needs to do a better job.
