Agriflexibility Fund Increasing Sales of Canola in China

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced in Chengdu, China that Tongwei Co. Ltd., a China-based feed company, intends to increase its purchase of Canadian canola meal by up to C$240 million annually by 2015. Tongwei believes their imports of Canadian canola could rise to $900 million over the next decade. Through the Agricultural Flexibility Fund (AgriFlexibility), the Canola Council of Canada has been working with a number of Chinese dairy and aquaculture processing companies, including Tongwei, to promote canola meal. The AgriFlexibility Fund is a five-year (2009-14) initiative aimed at helping the agriculture sector adapt to pressures and improve its competitiveness by reducing production costs, improving environmental sustainability, promoting innovation and responding to market challenges.