The Grain Growers of Canada are sharing their excitement after Canada agreed to sign on to a resurrected version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
On Tuesday, Canada announced it successfully concluded negotiations on the recently renamed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Jeff Nielsen, a grain farmer in Olds and Grain Growers of Canada president, said this is great news for farmers and ranchers across the country because they are trade dependent.
“We know we provide and grow quality products here in Canada and it’s great to have a trade deal in place so we can market our grains and other products,” said Nielsen.
Nielsen said the nations involved in the CPTPP represent some of the most lucrative and fastest growing markets for grains, pulses and oilseeds.
“The Asian market is very key for us to export to. Having the trade deal is a benefit to the Canadian economy, small businesses and farmers,” he said.
Eleven countries are committed to the new trade pact; Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Those countries will work towards inking the CPTPP in March.
Nielsen said there was some uncertainty regarding what would happen with the deal when the United States pulled out about a year ago.
Plenty of farmers and ranchers were excited to see Canada involved, he said.
“It’s been quite positive on Twitter today. It’s not just about agriculture, we’re thinking about the beef and pork sector as well because they are major exporting commodities as well,” said Nielsen.
Central Alberta will see an impact due to the CPTPP, he added.
“We’ll definitely benefit from it here (in Central Alberta),” he said. “We’ll see some increased returns to our producers here and hopefully value will be added to our products.”
The Government of Canada has a target of $75 billion in exports by 2025.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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