While it is still anybody's guess what North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations will entail, a recent meeting between U.S., Canadian and Mexican government representatives has shown good signals for agriculture. 

Canadian Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay, Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Jose Calzada and United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a joint statement yesterday after two days of meetings in Savannah, Georgia.

"Our three nations are connected not only geographically, but through our deeply integrated agricultural markets. Our trading relationship is vital to the economies - and the people - of our respective countries," the representatives said.

"We are working together to support and create good jobs in all three countries. We share a commitment to keeping our markets open and transparent so that trade can continue to grow.

"That mutual commitment was reaffirmed in our discussions this week."

The three agricultural representatives emphasized NAFTA had greatly helped their respective agricultural sectors, while consumers have benefited from an "ever-growing variety of safe, affordable food products all year around".

"While even the best trading partnerships face challenges from time to time, our agricultural differences are relatively few in the context of the $85 billion in agricultural trade that flows between our three nations each year," they said.

"Over the years, the United States, Mexico, and Canada have also worked collaboratively to protect plant and animal health, conduct joint research, and share best practices.

"These efforts have helped to eradicate several pests and diseases from the region, differentiating us from the rest of the world."

They said the three countries remained committed to continued collaboration to ensure a safe and reliable supply chain that made the North American agricultural sector more competitive.

"Our visit to Georgia fostered the mutual understanding and personal relationships that will help North American agriculture thrive, improve our regional partnership and collaboration, and strengthen our trading relationship," they said.

Photos: Mexican Government

www.freshfruitportal.com