Yesterday, following an agricultural trade mission that took a delegation of Canadian farm leaders and government officials to Beijing and Inner Mongolia agriculture minister Gerry Ritz announced new agricultural partnerships between Canada and China that will increase the movement of Canadian pulse crops, canola, beef, grain, and hogs to China.

Minister Ritz says there's a world of opportunity for agricultural trade in China.

Gerry Ritz-Agriculture Minister Canada

When it comes to global marketing Canadian pork producers have a tremendous track record as they put products in dozens of countries around the world.

Of course our hog producers have faced some challenges.

One of those challenges came last year as China banned Canadian pork due to H1N1.

In December prime minister Stephen Harper's mission to China again secured access for Canadian pork in this vital market.

We've been able to build on that momentum to secure an agreement with China to reopen this market to purebred live swine and genetics from Canada.

That means the last H1N1 related restriction to the Chinese market has now been lifted.

That good news couldn't come at a better time.

The Canadian Swine Exporters Association estimates sales of purebred swine genetics to China will total 30 million dollars this year.

Minister Ritz says Canadian farmers produce the best purebred swine genetics in the world and we’re proud to deliver our top-quality breeding stock to Chinese farmers.

He concedes there are still challenges in the Canadian pork industry but lifting this latest restriction on swine exports to China will be a real profit boost for our producers.

He notes there are 1.3 billion people in China compared to 33 million in Canada.

He says this is a growing market with a growing middle class, these people are increasing their appetites in a westernized way and we know we have the products to fill that market.