Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay has announced an investment of more than $6 million in two beef and cattle organisations to support and grow the country’s beef export market.
The funding is being provided through the AgriMarketing Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The investment aims to drive the growth of Canada’s beef industry through promotional activities that increase awareness and demand for Canadian beef in existing and new markets.
Canada Beef is receiving up to $5,865,110 and the Canadian Cattle Association is receiving up to $453,364.
The two projects incorporate promotional activities such as advertising campaigns, incoming and outgoing trade missions, technical training, and educational seminars.
Increasing trade in foreign markets will boost economic activity in Canada and positively impact farmers and businesses at all levels of the supply chain, according to the government.
Minister MacAuley said: “Canadian beef has earned a top spot on the world stage because of the commitment to quality and sustainability that our producers hold themselves to.
“By continuing to promote Canadian beef in key foreign markets, we can make the sector more competitive, put more money in the pockets of producers, and drive demand for our world-class Canadian beef.”
President of Canada Beef, Eric Bienvenue added: “Canadian beef is a world-class product, and this funding will support initiatives that increase awareness of the value proposition of Canadian beef and veal exports in international markets vital to the success of Canada’s beef industry.”
President of the Canadian Cattle Association, Nathan Phinney said: “Expanding and opening markets abroad for Canadian beef to meet global demand requires proactive efforts to build relationships.
“These local, national and international relationships open doors to trade and collaboration, and the AgriMarketing Program support will help to ensure Canadian beef producers are represented at these global tables.”
Canadian beef export market
The value of Canadian beef exports has increased in recent years. From 2018 to 2022, the value increased from $2.7 billion to $4.7 billion, and, in 2023, the value of Canadian beef exports exceeded $5 billion.
In 2023, the top importing countries for Canadian beef included the United States ($4 billion), Japan ($351 million), Mexico ($284 million), South Korea ($122 million), and Vietnam ($79 million).
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a $3.5-billion, five-year agreement (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028), between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.
The AgriMarketing Program is one of the federal programs under the Sustainable CAP and was established to help industry increase and diversify exports to international markets and seize domestic market opportunities through industry-led promotional activities that differentiate Canadian products and producers, and leverage Canada’s reputation for high-quality and safe food.
Canada recently opened an Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO) in Manila, Philippines.
The government said that the IPAAO will enhance market access, advance technical cooperation, identify new business opportunities for Canadian exporters to diversify their exports, and support investment attraction efforts into Canada.
