India, already one of the top global markets for Saskatchewan’s agriculture producers, is also one of the fastest-growing with provincial agri-food exports increasing in volume by over 71 per cent in 2023, when compared to 2022.
Exports of Saskatchewan lentils and peas to India, the province’s largest pulse market, experienced significant growth by the end of 2023. Saskatchewan’s total agri-food export volume to India ranked second in year-over-year growth among its markets, behind only Nigeria and ahead of Algeria, Indonesia, Peru and China. India ranked sixth among Saskatchewan’s agri-food export markets in terms of value for 2023, at $712 million.
“Our agriculture producers are among the best in the world at supplying safe, nutritious and sustainably grown products,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “With India being Saskatchewan’s fifth largest trading partner, we want to help our companies and producers remain profitable and competitive by reinforcing our global links with key trade partners in support of Saskatchewan’s long-term economic goals.”
Saskatchewan has already surpassed its 2030 Growth Plan target of $20 billion in agri-food exports with total shipments of $20.2 billion for 2023. Overall, there was a 26 per cent increase in Saskatchewan’s total agri-food export volume in 2023 over the previous year.
Saskatchewan’s exports have grown by more than 52 per cent since 2013, contributing to Canada’s total exports to India in 2023, reaching a value of $5.1 billion. The province also continues to strengthen and diversify its economic links with India beyond commodity trade, exemplified by the recent renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance academic collaboration with the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, a bi-national educational organization with 194 member institutions including the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan.
(Government of Saskatchewan news release)