The two ministers met on Aug. 3 at the Conrad Hotel in Manila, underscoring a renewed push to elevate Philippine-Canada agri-fishery trade and technical collaboration.
Both leaders lauded the enduring partnership, reflected in a cumulative $2.39 billion in bilateral agri-fishery trade between 2020 and 2024.
Tiu Laurel noted the momentum, with total agricultural trade rising from $327 million in 2020 to $568 million in 2022, its highest in recent years.
“Canada remains a vital partner in supporting our vision for a more globally competitive agriculture sector,” Tiu Laurel said, citing that Philippine agri-fishery exports to Canada climbed from $109 million in 2020 to $148 million in 2024—the strongest performance in five years.
Discussions covered high-value crops, African Swine Fever (ASF) response, food security, and the ongoing ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
The ministers also raised the possibility of a bilateral FTA to further open markets and diversify trade.
A key outcome was the signing of a Joint Statement on Technical Collaboration between the Philippines’ Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The agreement targets plant health, capacity building, scientific and regulatory cooperation, and the sharing of innovations to boost agricultural productivity.
Tiu Laurel was joined by Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, Assistant Secretary Benjamin Aberece, Assistant Secretary Paz Benavidez II, and officials from various Department of Agriculture offices. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
