CALGARY, AB: The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association urges the Canadian government to move forward in successfully concluding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.
“The vast majority of Canadian agriculture depends on access to export markets,” says Levi Wood, President of the Wheat Growers.“It is crucial that Canada be a part of the TPP so that competitors in the United States and Australia do not gain preferential access to key markets in the Pacific Rim.”
The Pacific Rim countries that are part of the TPP represent important markets for Canadian wheat, canola and barley.They also represent huge potential for Canada’s beef and pork sectors.Expansion of the cattle and hog industry would contribute to greater economic prosperity in rural Canada and reduce our reliance on shipping raw grain by rail.
More than 150,000 Canadian farms, representing close to 90% of total farms, are dependent on exports for at least a portion of their farm revenue.Farm cash receipts for Canadian grain, cattle and hog producers amounts to over $30 billion annually.
“Our export interests should not be sacrificed to maintain protectionism in other sectors,” says Wood.“Canada’s wealth is dependent on access to export markets.Let’s make sure we’re not left behind.”
About the Wheat Growers:
Founded in 1970, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing public policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole. For more information, please visit wheatgrowers.ca.
For More Information Contact:
Levi Wood, President
306-535-2997
lwood@wheatgrowers.ca