February 27, 2013

China has yet to demand review on Canada's pork

China has not demanded a third-party review of Canada's pork imports to ensure they are free of ractopamine, according to Canada's Agriculture Minister, Gerry Ritz.

Ritz said he expects China to require third-party verification of Canadian pork at some point, as it requires of US pork shipments starting March 1.

Most Canadian pork shipments to China, Ritz said, are free of ractopamine.

The minister said he expects to discuss the issue with Chinese officials when he visits China in spring.

Canadian beef and pork are still moving to Russia, Ritz said, while US shipments to Russia are "spotty."

In addition, Ritz is hopeful that China will approve more of its domestic crushing facilities to accept Canadian canola with blackleg, a fungal disease that is present in much of the Canadian crop, a spokesman for Ritz said.