GUANGZHOU, China – A recent successful trade mission to China, undertaken by Canada’s Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, resulted in a series of new agricultural agreements between both countries. Canadian processors can now immediately resume exporting bovine tallow for industrial use to China for the first time in almost a decade.

An agreement on export conditions has cleared the way for Canadian tallow access to a market expected to be worth $50 million (US$50.2 million) annually, according to the Canadian Renderers Association.

This move was made possible thanks to the breakthrough Cooperative Arrangement signed during the visit of President Hu to Canada in 2010 after an agreement was reached to allow staged market access for Canadian beef and beef products to China.

China also has agreed to certify more Canadian plants to export beef, begin technical discussions on expanding beef access, create a joint technical working group to move forward a Canada-China Cooperation Dairy Farm Pilot Project and discuss technical export conditions for Canadian dairy cattle. Meanwhile, Canada continues to work with its beef industry and China to expand market access, based on sound science, for Canadian beef and beef products.

Ritz also participated in signing a new contract for Canadian swine genetics worth $1.6 million. One of the top global swine breeding companies, Genesus Inc., signed a contract with Best Genetics for 1,000 swine. This commercial agreement was one of 23 that combined totaled close to $3 billion (US$3.1 billion)

A major market for Canadian producers, China secured 2010 agricultural exports valued at $2.6 billion.