CALGARY – The Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA) is pleased to announce it has signed a co-operation agreement with a Chinese company which will grow the food processing industries of both countries.
Under the agreement, AFPA will work with Suzhou Jiashen Business Consultants, Ltd., to import and market Alberta-made food products for distribution and sale in the Shanghai region, an area with population of about twenty-five million people. In return, AFPA will help with the importation, distribution and sale of Chinese-manufactured food products.
The agreement helps strengthen Alberta’s food and beverage processing industry, which generates about $15 billion in annual sales, surpassing all other Alberta manufacturing industries including petroleum manufacturing.
“This is a momentous achievement for AFPA members and Alberta-based food processors,” says Eric Haak, AFPA’s Board Chair. “This agreement will strengthen existing food processing jobs, and will allow Alberta companies to expand into this huge and growing market, resulting even more jobs.”
AFPA will introduce various Alberta-made food products to distributors and retailers including various cuts of beef, icewine, dried fruit, muesli, oatmeal and honey to. AFPA will also help distribute Canadian food products from other provinces including maple syrup, lobster and sea cucumber.
“I have to really thank Economic Development and Trade Minister Deron Bilous who kickstarted this partnership through a highly successful trade mission to China in November, which I attended,” says Haak. “While AFPA has worked very hard to cement these important relationships, this agreement would never have happened without the work of Minister Bilous.”
AFPA is currently working with several Alberta-based food processors under this agreement to expand their base in China and it is expected many more companies will join the program in the coming months.
About AFPA: The Alberta Food Processors Association has been representing, responding to and promoting the interests of its members in the Alberta food and beverage industry since 1974.Through training and education, valuable networking opportunities, industry knowledge and leadership, AFPA helps its members and the industry, as a whole, prosper and grow.