(Resource News International) — The Canadian government says it’s actively working to find a quick resolution to a trade issue with China that could jeopardize canola shipments to the country.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) received notice from China earlier this week that blackleg was found in two shipments of Canadian canola, according to CFIA spokesperson Tim O’Connor.
China has now told Canada it will not accept any more Canadian canola after Nov. 15 unless it is certified as being free of blackleg, he said.
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Canadian embassy officials are already in contact with their Chinese counterparts to try and resolve the matter, said O’Connor. He added that officials from CFIA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will be in China within days to continue to work towards a resolution.
“We want to highlight that this is not a food safety issue, rather it is a trade and market access issue,” said O’Connor.
“We’re confident that Canadian farmers grow the best canola in the world and we’ll continue to work on their behalf to resolve this situation.”
Debbie Belanger, manager of communications with the Canola Council of Canada, said the fact that a government delegation will soon be on its way to China “demonstrates that they understand how important this issue is to our industry and they’re taking quick action.”
Canola industry officials and the CFIA are expected to discuss the issue in a conference call later Friday.
Both O’Connor and Belanger expected more information would be available after the weekend.
