Agriculture, trade on the agenda as ministers visit Israel

Saskatchewan’s deputy premier Gord Wyant is heading to Israel with the province’s Trade and Export Minister Jeremy Harrison.

The weeklong trip includes stops in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with meetings taking place between the Saskatchewan representatives and private industry, government officials, academics and research organizations.

“This mission to Israel offers us a chance to showcase Saskatchewan’s world class agriculture sector, business environment, mineral industry and more,” Wyant said in a news release issued Friday.

“It also allows us to learn about the way the government of Israel, the private sector and research organizations work together effectively to foster an environment that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship. Saskatchewan and Israel have a lot to offer each other in terms of trade, business and innovation, and this trip will allow us to explore further opportunities for collaboration and co-operation, so we can improve the lives of our residents.”

The Saskatchewan delegation is leaving for Israel on Oct. 6 and returning Oct. 13.

“We will be showcasing the province’s agricultural strengths and highlighting that the newly agreed to Protocols of Amendment to the Canada-israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) will eliminate tariffs on nearly all agriculture products when they come into force, making Canadian and Saskatchewan food imports more cost effective, in an effort to increase the province’s share of Israel’s $8 billion in annual agrifood imports,” a statement from Harrison said.

According to the province, Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector will be showcased and “opportunities to increase trade” will be sought.

Over the last five years, Saskatchewan’s exports to Israel have grown by 30 per cent. Other top exports are chickpeas, canola seeds, peas and beans.

Saskatchewan exported more than $19 million in goods to Israel last year.

An Innovation agreement between Saskatchewan and Israel created in 2014 expired in 2016. According to the province, that agreement allowed the two “to develop a broader awareness of one another’s research capabilities and strengths, which led to the establishment of a number of research partnerships, many of which are ongoing.”

One of those partnerships is between the University of Saskatchewan and Nrgene, which worked with the Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium to successfully map the genome for wheat — described by the province as “a critical step in developing new varieties of wheat with the traits necessary to meet the world’s evolving needs.”