Ottawa—A second Canadian exporter of canola to China has had its license abruptly revoked and Canada is still waiting for Beijing to supply proof of its claims the shipments were contaminated with pests.Regina-based Viterra joined Richardson International of Winnipeg in having its canola seed shipments blocked by China because of alleged contamination.A spokeswoman for Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had “inspected the canola seed shipments, using appropriate procedures and analysis, prior to export to China and was confident that the certified shipments met foreign import requirements.”While plant health experts from Customs China and CFIA have exchanged some initial technical information, it didn't change Canada's position that the canola is safe. “Officials from both countries will continue to engage in order to find a science-based solution to this issue as quickly as possible,” the spokeswoman said.Meanwhile Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's comments about sending a trade mission to Beijing have the backing of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers. WCWGA Director Daryl Fransoo said the ministers of agriculture, trade diversification and foreign affairs need to make the Chinese actions a top priority.“There is a great deal of uncertainty in the agriculture community,” he said. “Farmers are reaching out worried about which markets are open and which will be closed. Farmers will be planting their crops in a matter of weeks and the current situation sows uncertainty.”The spat with China, linked to the arrest of a Chinese hi-tech executive on behalf of the U.S., comes on top of trade disputes with Italy over durum wheat and India over pulses, which both banned Canadian imports to protect their own farmers. Meanwhile Canada is in non-tariff trade disputes with Peru, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.
“If the Prime Minister wants to support the Canadian agriculture economy, we should have this agriculture delegation starting immediately and not stopping until we have met with the appropriate officials in China, India, Italy, Peru and Vietnam,” said WCWGA Chairman Jim Wickett. “We're prepared to immediately participate, but if we wait much longer we'll all be planting. The time to act is now.”In addition to the licence revocations, orders for canola from other Chinese buyers have dried up, the Canola Council of Canada says. There is speculation in the grain trade the move is also linked to a serious reduction in domestic Chinese hog production because of outbreaks of African Swine Fever and PED, another virulent hog disease. The Chinese want to halt canola shipments until its hog industry is stabilized.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.