(Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Canadian Canola

Politicians debate Chinese canola issue.

Mar 18, 2019 | 3:30 PM

Opposition members of parliament will get their meeting with officials from the agriculture and trade departments to discuss the dispute over canola shipments to China.

China announced it had banned imported Canadian canola from Richardson International because of pests, but Canadians suspect it is politics.

During an emergency meeting of the standing committee on international trade yesterday, it was decided there would be a meeting with officials of the agriculture and trade departments on Thursday. The federal ministers of those two posts won’t be available for a meeting until the first week of April. The group’s request for a meeting with the minister of foreign affairs was declined.

Brandon-Souris Conservative MP, Larry Maguire, said the situation is even more pressing because Canada does not have an ambassador in China.

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“The ambassador to China was asked to step down in January. We’re in a very important trade situation with China and we don’t have an ambassador in place. That’s why we wanted the minister of foreign affairs.”

Maguire said this is an urgent issue and it’s clear farmers are taking a hit.

“They’re telling me that this loss of a $1.00 to $1.50 a bushel since the beginning of December on the canola market is significant and I know from my farming experience that certainly is significant,” Maguire said. “It’s a big loss, close to a million dollars in the industry already and we need the government to get their boots on the ground in China to be able to make sure we show China we’ve got the best quality in the world. We need to have them in the marketplace as a reliable customer.”

Maguire served as the president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers from 1995 to 1999.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF