MEETING TO DISCUSS AGRICULTURE TRADE

Leaders and officials from Saskatchewan, Alberta and the United States are meeting today in Washington, D.C. to discuss agriculture trade issues.

Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline has been invited by Canadian Ambassador Michael Kergin to update key American government and agricultural leaders on the results of the recent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) investigation and the impact of the case on Western Canada.

"Scientific evidence suggests that this BSE discovery was a single isolated incident, but it's clear that this case has raised serious concerns in all sectors of the North American livestock and red meat industries," Cline said. "We are having a very positive exchange of views with our American friends. We are confident that the U.S. government and industry will soon agree that, based on solid science, they can safely reopen their border to Canadian cattle and beef exports."

The meeting also provides an opportunity to raise Western Canadian concerns with the contents of the new U.S. Farm Bill, passed last year, and especially its mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements beginning in 2004. "We stressed that these proposed U.S. requirements have nothing to do with food safety and will only add unnecessary costs for both the U.S. and Canadian industries," Cline said.

"We also made the point that the BSE situation is not an appropriate justification for such labeling. We are confident that the recent scientific investigation will show that Canada has an excellent food safety system. Domestic and international consumers can be confident that any food available to them that has been through our system is safe."

The current World Trade Organization agriculture negotiations, and the common objective for both countries to obtain a level playing field internationally for their producers, were also discussed. "We shared our concerns about the disappointing pace and scope of these negotiations so far," Cline said. "We told the Americans that, if these negotiations fail to level the playing field, the remaining market distortions in the U.S. and the E.U. will continue to unfairly depress our farmers' incomes."

Cline said face-to-face meetings like this help us to understand one another better, and build on the strong relationship we have with our American neighbours.

The meeting was timed with BIO 2003, the world's largest gathering of leading companies in the biotechnology sector, which is also taking place in Washington June 21st-25th.

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For More Information, Contact:

Bob Ellis Industry and Resources Regina Phone: (306)787-8277