Mission to Washington, D.C .Alberta at the Smithsonian

• To attend and participate in an Agriculture Policy Forum sponsored by Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) as part of Alberta Week in Washington.
• To meet with members of US agri-food processing industry, US government officials and agriculture organizations to advance Alberta’s agriculture trade interests.
• To develop strong relationships with key government officials, business groups and promote investment opportunities in Alberta.

• Honourable Doug Horner, Minister of AAFRD, led a mission to Washington, DC on June 28 - 29, 2006.
• Minister Horner met with officials from the Royal Dutch Embassy to the US to explore investment opportunities in Alberta’s agriculture industry.
• Minster Horner met with the American Meat Institute and with representatives from four US based meat processors to discuss the current state of the North American meat industry and its global competitiveness.
• Minister Horner discussed a variety of policy and trade issues with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
• Minister Horner also met with Alberta’s legal counsel in Washington, DC to discuss legal issues around the resumption of trade in cattle and beef with the US.

• Advocate Alberta’s agricultural trade interests in the US.
• Promote investment in Alberta’s agri-food industry.
• Advance Canada-US dialogue and increase understanding of agriculture policy approaches in each country
• Enhance Alberta’s profile and relationships with US industry associations and key government officials

• Legal counsel from Arnold and Porter LLP provided an update and perspective on the regulatory changes needed in the US to resume trade in cattle over thirty months of age (OTM) and beef from OTM cattle.
• Minister Horner met with Mr. Wim Tacken, Counselor for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality from the Royal Netherlands Embassy to the US to discuss investment opportunities in Alberta. Mr. Tacken proposed a future mission by Dutch officials to Alberta to carry on this discussion. Alberta will coordinate meetings for this mission.
• Minister Horner met with Mr. J. Patrick Boyle, President and CEO of the American Meat Institute and Mr. Jim Hodges, President of the American Meat Institute Foundation to discuss the need to resume trade in OTM cattle and beef from OTM cattle. Other topics discussed included US negotiations to resume beef shipments to Japan, the global competitiveness of the North American meat processing industry and continued Canadian and US efforts to regain market access for beef in South Korea.
• Minister Horner met with representatives of four US meat processors to discuss their response to Canada’s enhanced feed ban, the outlook for resumed trade in OTM cattle and beef from OTM cattle and the request of South Korea that the US segregate any beef produced from Canadian cattle in future shipments from the US to South Korea.
• Minister Horner met with Mr. Richard Kerchoff, Executive Vice President and CEO of NASDA, and Mr. Bob Ehart, Animal and Plant Health Safeguarding Coordinator, NASDA. This meeting discussed NASDA’s priorities for a new US farm bill, the US industry’s attitude towards the current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, invasive species, the identification of trade barriers between Canada and the US and the position of NASDA member states towards a resumption of trade in OTM cattle and beef from OTM cattle. Minister Horner, as host of this year’s Tri-National Agricultural ACCORD, encouraged attendance by as many NASDA member states as possible.

• Minister Horner met with Mr. Charles Conner, Deputy Secretary of the USDA. Minister Horner thanked the USDA for its excellent work in restoring trade in cattle under thirty months of age and beef from cattle under thirty months of age. Minister Horner emphasized the need for the USDA to publish a rule allowing the resumption of trade in OTM cattle and beef. Mr. Horner also encouraged the USDA to reject South Korea’s demand that beef from Canadian cattle be segregated from future US beef shipments to South Korea. Deputy Secretary Conner and Minister Horner also discussed the prospects for an ambitious agreement from the Doha Round of WTO negotiations.
• Minister Horner attended and participated in a half-day “Cross Border Forum on Agricultural Interdependence: Challenges and Opportunities”.
• USDA Deputy Secretary Charles Conner and Deputy Premier Shirley McClellan opened the forum. The forum consisted of one panel discussion on cooperation in the Canadian and US beef and oilseed industries and one panel discussion on regulatory convergence and North American agricultural policy responses to increasing global competition.
• Minister Horner spoke on the Policy panel and outlined Canada and Alberta’s approach to domestic farm support policy. He also emphasized the need for an ambitious WTO agreement to remove market distortions created by subsidies, tariffs and import quotas.
• Approximately 64 people representing governments, Universities, think tanks, industry associations and businesses attended the forum. The forum was held at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars and was sponsored by AAFRD.
• The forum concluded with a luncheon featuring Premier Ralph Klein and Representative Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, as keynote speakers.