OTTAWA, Canada – Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, on Tuesday, concluded a successful mission to India where she took part in the G20 agriculture ministers’ meeting and met with her international counterparts, senior officials, and Canadian and Indian agriculture stakeholders.
Throughout her participation at the G20 agriculture ministers’ meeting, minister Bibeau reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to remain a reliable source of safe, high-quality agri-food products to the world, and shared Canada’s views on the importance of achieving more sustainable, resilient and inclusive agri-food systems.
Minister Bideau congratulated India on its G20 presidency and facilitating important dialogues and also committed to strengthening the bilateral relationship with this vital partner in the Indo-Pacific. The minister joined other delegates in condemning Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to working with our close trade partners to coordinate responses to the impact of war on global food security and market stability.
At the G20, minister Bibeau met bilaterally with her Indian counterpart, minister of agriculture and farmers’ welfare of India, Narendra Singh Tomar. During the meeting, minister Bibeau reiterated Canada’s commitment to working with India to enhance our agricultural partnership and to collaboratively address broader issues, such as global food security and climate change.
Minister Bibeau expressed her optimism in achieving a successful trade agreement that will help both countries meet evolving market needs and grow and diversify their high-quality agricultural and food products. The minister also conducted a series of bilateral meetings and discussions with the United Kingdom, Japan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and several others.
During her outreach in India, minister Bibeau visited an Ag-Tech start-up that is led and managed by over 700 farmers. During her visit, they discussed Canadian company Clean Seed Capital’s SMART seeder technology. The company has been conducting field trials in the State of Punjab and the State of Haryana, with new seeding technology that could bring a paradigm shift to farming in India through innovation. Minister Bibeau also met with a range of agricultural stakeholders hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry – Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence to discuss challenges and opportunities for Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports.
Minister Bibeau also met bilaterally with Indian minister of animal husbandry, and dairying, Parshottam Rupala, and minister of consumer affairs and commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal, to promote Canada’s high-quality agriculture products and discuss the ways the two countries can cooperate on trade, research and advancing each other’s market access priorities and ensuring market predictability.
Concluding the mission to India, minister Bibeau visited McCain Foods India, where she learned more about how this Canadian company engages in research and development of the frozen food market in India and the countries of the subcontinent; and visited Heads Up For Tails, a pet supply store that recently started importing Canadian petfood products.
