The head of the Alberta Barley Commission is ecstatic about the federal governmentís proposal of negotiating a free-trade agreement with Japan and Thailand.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced last week that Canada and Thailand will discuss the possibility of a free-trade agreement, and on March 25 he announced the launch of negotiating a free-trade agreement with Japan.
ìThis is a very positive and exciting thing for us,î said Matt Sawyer, chairman of the Alberta Barley Commission. ìWeíre looking forward to it.î
Sawyer said Japan is the second largest market for Canadian malt barley and Canada is Japanís largest supplier, providing 40 per cent of malt imports. He said it will definitely benefit barley growers in Western Canada.
In addition, Sawyer said agriculture is one of the driving forces in Western Canada, and it employees more than two million people.
He said this agreement will increase jobs in the industry and generally benefit Canada as a whole.
ìAnytime when we can eliminate tariffs, it opens up opportunities for our farmers,î said Sawyer.
Sawyer said Asian countries are always looking for food suppliers, which is a great opportunity for Western Canada barley producers. The general manager of the Alberta Barley Commission is currently in Japan promoting this agreement. Sawyer said the commission is also hoping to gain a free-trade agreement with South Korea in the future.
ìJapan values our commitment to quality and security of supply. This will benefit all those involved in the industry ñ including consumers,î said the president of the Malting Industry Association of Canada, Phil De Kemp, in a recent pressrelease.
The Alberta Barley Commission is Canadaís only barley commission, which is a non-profit organization funded by Albertaís 17,000 barley farmers.
For more information, visit www.albertabarley.com
