The first week of December, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, was in the Québec City area to meet with producers, partners and provincial stakeholders in the agriculture and agri-food sector. Minister MacDonald was accompanied by his Parliamentary Secretary, Sophie Chatel.

Minister MacDonald met with Québec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Donald Martel to discuss priorities such as the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement, the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, and reciprocal standards for imported foods and products. Ministers MacDonald and Martel agreed to continue their joint efforts to support Québec’s agriculture and agri-food industry.

During his time in Québec, Minister MacDonald made a speech at the General Congress of the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), also answering questions from the agricultural producers in attendance. Prior to his speech, the Minister met with UPA’s president Martin Caron and executive director Charles-Félix Ross to discuss financial assistance for producers and measures to ensure a reliable agricultural workforce.

Minister MacDonald held a round table with members of Québec’s processing vegetable production sector. Participants shared their thoughts on opportunities and challenges, particularly with regard to agri-food imports and exports. The Minister reiterated his support for increasing access to key markets and reducing obstacles to trade.

To round out his tour of the region, Minister MacDonald visited agriculture, agri-food and research facilities, including the Grand marché de Québec and several Université Laval buildings, including the Envirotron, the CRIV (plant research and innovation centre) and the STELA (dairy science and technology research centre). He concluded the tour with a visit to Ideal Can, a Canadian canmaker, to discuss sustainable and local packaging solutions.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada December 5, 2025 news release