The province wants to increase export opportunities for Alberta businesses, including agricultural ones, by opening six new trade offices and creating an export council for medium and small businesses.
The new offices in China, Singapore, India, Brazil, Illinois and California were “selected to benefit the major industries in Alberta and of course agriculture is among them,” said David Sands, a spokesperson for the Ministry of International and Intergovernmental Relations.
Existing offices in places such as Japan and Korea have been very successful and are a great resource for businesses looking to export, he said.
Read Also
Farming Smarter receives financial boost from Alberta government for potato research
Farming Smarter near Lethbridge got a boost to its research equipment, thanks to the Alberta government’s increase in funding for research associations.
“They know what the local regulations are, they know what the local process is, and they know what the local market is looking for,” Sands said.
Currently the government has identified opportunities abroad for canola, beef, barley, wheat, pork and processed potatoes, Sands said, though that doesn’t mean opportunities for other products don’t exist.
The international offices currently cost $9 million a year to run, and the new offices will up that to about $12 million, he said. Most will open later this year or next, although the Brazilian office isn’t slated to open until 2015.
Opposition agriculture critics were generally supportive but Liberal David Swann said their worth will be determined by how knowledgeable and connected the staff in the offices are.
“People can communicate so well internationally now, that you really wonder what some of these offices are able to accomplish by being there in person,” Swann said.
Alberta Barley Commission general manager Lisa Skierka said the existing offices have been very helpful and said the new locations “make sense.”
Alberta Beef Producers’ executive director also welcomed the announcement.
“I think they can do a better job than the federal government at reflecting provincial priorities,” he said.
Officials in some countries are more used to dealing with governments than private industry, and so being able to partner with government staff is helpful, he said.
