Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 27 - Canada hopes to increase its cereals exports to Saudi Arabia by 40 percent this year, the Canadian trade minister said on Saturday.
"If we could pick a figure we want to see 40 percent growth. I don't know if it will be the 40 percent but there will be growth," Stockwell Day told reporters when asked about growth rates for cereal exports to the kingdom.
Most of the cereals exports would be barley, Day said, speaking to reporters after meeting his Saudi counterpart in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.
Canada exported barley worth $225 million to Saudi Arabia in 2008, according to official Canadian data. Cereals make up 22 percent of total Canadian exports to Saudi Arabia, Day said.
Saudi Arabia has said it is in talks with several countries such as Sudan, Egypt, Ukraine, Pakistan and Turkey to allow Saudi companies to establish projects to help supply it with food such as wheat, barley, soya beans or rice.