August 31, 2016 - 2:28 AM
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that existing dockage rules with China on canola exports have been extended beyond a Sept. 1 deadline as the two countries continue to negotiate a long-term solution. The two countries disagree on the level of "dockage" — foreign material such as weeds, other crops and detritus — that should be considered acceptable in canola exports to China.
Here are five things about Canada's canola industry:
1. A study released in 2013 said Canadian-grown canola contributes $19.3 billion to the Canadian economy each year, including more than 249,000 Canadian jobs and $12.5 billion in wages.
2. Canola generates one quarter of all farm cash receipts in Canada. Acreage continues to increase because of the profitability and resilience of the crop.
3. About 43,000 growers produce canola, mostly in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec also grow a substantial amount of the crop.
4. Canada exports 90 per cent of its canola as seed, oil or meal to 55 markets around the world. The United States is the top buyer and imported $3.3 billion worth of canola products in 2015 while China imported $2.6 billion worth.
5. Canada's canola processing industry transforms harvested seeds into oil and meal, which are then manufactured into a wide variety of products.
———
(Source:The Canola Council of Canada)
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016