Two-way trade with Canada tops $1.4b

CHITTAGONG, Mar 12: The two-way trade between Canada and Bangladesh topped $1.4 billion in 2010, up over 50 per cent since 2008, with the balance still in favour of Bangladesh. Last year Canadian exports to Bangladesh were almost $600 million with Saskatchewan, a major grain producing region of the country, alone exporting $310 million or 52 per cent of the total. Despite this major achievement, Canadian producers are always looking for new demand opportunities, inter alia, with a focus on positive health, nutrition and environmental benefits. Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert McDougall told this at a seminar on Canadian Agriculture Products 2011 on the occasion of Saskatchewan business and market development missions at Hotel Peninsula in the port city Saturday. The Saskatchewan trade and export partnership (STEP), Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Agriculture Canada, Ministry of Agriculture Saskatchewan and the Canadian Grain Commission jointly organised the seminar. City mayor M Manjur Alam attended the function as chief guest while it was addressed by Tim Mershall, Ms Jennifar Evange of STEP, deputy minister of Saskatchewan Ms Allana Koch, Gin Castonguay of Canadian Grain Commission, Gerth Patterson of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and leading Bangladesh grain importer Abul Bashar Chowdhury of BSM Group. City mayor said Chittagong is one of the high potential areas in Bangladesh and has abundance of human resources, agricultural and natural resources, and water resources. Majority of the people are engaged in agricultural activities, he added. He said the trade mission of the STEP has brought a good opportunity for the local entrepreneurs, business dignitaries and industrialists to raise the agricultural economy through exchange of views, ideas, experiences, strategies and technologies among the participants and experts.