Canada and Russia are creating ground-breaking new opportunities for agricultural trade and cooperation between the two countries. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced progress on a number of agricultural issues from Moscow. Minister Ritz’s mission builds on the Joint Statement on Agriculture Cooperation signed in 2007 and Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day’s mission to Russia in June.
“Canada and Russia have a long history of agricultural cooperation and today we strengthened that relationship by creating ground-breaking new opportunities for Russian and Canadian farmers,” said Minister Ritz, after his meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Victor Zubkov. “Canadian and Russian farmers want to make their living from the marketplace and these agreements will make a difference on the bottom line.”
Russia and Canada agreed to a certificate to open market access for Canadian bone-in beef from animals under 30 months of age. The certificate finalized an agreement-in-principle negotiated during Minister Day’s June mission. Russia and Canada built on that success by agreeing to market access for Canadian boneless beef from animals over 30 months of age. Canada and Russia also agreed to have technical officials work within this calendar year to move toward giving Russian importers access to Canadian beef offal.
“I am pleased that my visit to Russia this summer and our representations there on behalf of Canada’s beef industry have paid off,” said Minister Day. “This will be a great opportunity for our producers to increase their exports to Russia, one of the world’s largest beef importers.”
The Canada Beef Export Federation (CBEF) estimates the value of under-30-month beef and over-30-month boneless beef will be worth up to $32 million. CBEF also estimates fully reopening the Russian market to Canadian offal will be worth up to $10 million.
Russia is expanding its sheep and goat production and opening market access for high-quality Canadian small ruminant breeding stock. The Canadian Sheep Federation estimates the Russian market will be worth up to $8 million over three years.
Russian officials also committed to send a technical team to work with Canadian officials and industry to complete meat plant approvals within this calendar year.
The Canadian industry participated in the Moscow Golden Autumn Agricultural Fair and finalized key agreements with Russian industry to provide high-quality beef breeding stock and technical training. Hawkeye Land & Livestock Ltd. of Canada signed a deal to ship up to 10,000 head of pure-bred beef breeding stock to the Russian-owned Northern Agro Industrial Company. Another Canadian company, Alta Exports International, signed another agreement with Inter-Regional Beef Breeding Cattle Development Fund, to support the establishment of a beef-breeding training centre to make sure Russian buyers can maximize production from Canadian breeding stock.
