Canada to hit new agri-food export record in 2020, early records show

OTTAWA — Despite COVID-19 and its associated lockdowns wreaking havoc on every level of business last year, Canada’s agri-food exports were on track for a new record, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
According to an analysis of export numbers from January to October, “Canada is on track to surpass our (2019) record of $67 billion in agriculture and agri-food exports,” Ag-Canada said last month.

Export markets stayed largely the same, with the U.S. gobbling up over 50 per cent of our agri-food and seafood exports; China taking just over 12 per cent; Japan collecting almost seven per cent; and the EU receiving over five per cent. But the EU saw the biggest growth, with the size of that market jumping by about 43 per cent last year over 2019. That’s thanks largely to exports of canola seed to France, Germany and The Netherlands and of durum wheat to Italy.

Canola seed and durum wheat overall were the two strongest players, but the pork sector saw a big boost as well. China’s been hungry for pork ever since African Swine Fever devastated its enormous hog herds, but other countries are no slouches either. Canadian pork exports were up about 22 per cent in 2020 over 2019, with China taking about a third of all exports. But Japan bought nearly as much, and the U.S. wasn’t far behind either.
Lentils also did well last year, as did soybeans. Lentil exports jumped by almost $1 billion last year. Soybeans saw most of their growth in 2020, with exports jumping by about $340 million from September to October.