Canadian provinces for more trade with Punjab

The Consulate General (CG) of Canada in Chandigarh has received requests from the provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan seeking increased trade ties between them and the state of Punjab in the fields of food processing and agro-industry.

The requests have come in the backdrop of one of the provinces of Canada, British Columbia, setting up its trade and investment office in Chandigarh to tie-up with the government to push the trade proposals.

The provinces of Canada have shown interest in setting up closer linkages in the areas of food processing and grain storage.

CG officials here said that the provinces in the country have expertise in handling food grain storage and processing and are proposing technology sharing agreements with the government of Punjab.

Officials handling the trade and investment work at the CG office here said that Canada is looking at setting up a food park jointly with the state of Punjab. They added that closer ties between Canada and Punjab will help the state to pursue a crop diversification program and look beyond paddy-wheat growing cycle.

Consul General, Scot Slessor, said that the embassy in Chandigarh is looking at increased trade ties as part of the plan of the two countries to move up from the current 5-6 billion (Canadian dollar) trade between India and Canada.

He said that the governments of India and Canada are proposing to increase the trade to 15 billion Canadian dollars a year and are also pursuing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to cut trade duties.

Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada, Gurbans Sobti, said that Canada and Punjab are already doing trade in the areas of agro-industry and aerospace. He said that pea and pulses, fertilisers, aerospace equipment, organic chemicals, woven and knit apparel and precious stones are traded between Punjab and Canada.

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