Québec-Ontario Trade and Cooperation Agreement - GROWING FORWARD AT THE CENTRE OF DISCUSSIONS

Hon. Pierre Corbeil, Québec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Hon. Ted McMeekin, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, met today at SIAL Montréal to discuss common issues related to the Québec-Ontario Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The ministers talked about common positioning with respect to the next national agricultural policy framework, Growing Forward 2, which is due April 1, 2013. Key for both ministers will be to ensure that the national agreement delivers on the priorities of producers and the food industry in both Québec and Ontario. "Minister McMeekin and I will be working together closely during federal-provincial-territorial negotiations to renew the agricultural policy framework," said Minister Corbeil.

The ministers also discussed collaborative efforts undertaken last year in the areas of regulatory cooperation, support for supply management, and innovation. Representatives of both provinces also worked side by side to organize SIAL Montréal, a world-class international trade show hosted by Montréal this year from May 9 to 11, 2012.

For the coming year, the two ministers committed to ongoing collaboration regarding issues affecting livestock industries in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and northern Ontario, alignment of regulatory requirements, and working with the federal government on areas of common interest, including protection of Canada's supply management systems in international trade agreements.

"This is a critical time for Canadian agricultural policy", stated Minister McMeekin. "It is important that Ontario and Québec work together, given our shared priorities, to ensure that our producers and processors get the best deal, a fair deal, from the federal government."

QUICK FACTS

• The combined farm gate value of Ontario and Québec production is valued at approximately $18.9 billion annually, or 38% of the national total. The two provinces' food processing sectors combined represent 64% of the total Canadian output.
• In September 2009, the Québec and Ontario premiers signed the Québec-Ontario Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which establishes commitments in cooperation, regulatory harmonization, and innovation.