Growing Forward 2 | Industry groups applaud announcement that will support international trade promotion
Saskatchewan agricultural organizations say a new market development program will help them do more business at home and around the world.
Agriculture minister Lyle Stewart announced a five-year $9 million program last week as part of its Growing Forward 2 commitments.
The province previously had a $1 million per year international market development program. The new program also includes domestic market development
Canada’s Farm Progress Show manager Rob O’Connor said he likes the flexibility of the program, which allows organizations to go out and seek customers or bring them in for a look.
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Canadian Western Agribition president Reed Andrew said it will definitely enhance his organization’s efforts.
The program is available to agribusinesses and producer groups involved in producing, processing or marketing products. Eligible costs include trade shows, trade missions, promotional materials, training costs, exhibits and buyer missions.
Stewart said Saskatchewan is the country’s largest agricultural producer, and it’s important to develop and maintain markets. The government’s growth agenda calls for a 50 percent increase in exports from 2012 to 2020.
“We got a good start this year with about a 12 percent bump,” he said.
“We need to keep that up. We can’t be complacent about our existing markets and we have to continue to build new ones.”
He said the industry does most of this work, and the government funding is designed to help it along. The program will pay 50 percent of approved costs to a maximum of $50,000 per project and $100,000 per applicant per year.
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers chair Morgan Nunweiler said he just recently returned from a trip to India.
“Trade is essential for Saskatchewan pulse growers,” he said.
“We’re focused on creating opportunities for farmers in the pulse industry and generating net incomes that are higher than before.”
Saskatchewan produces 35 percent of the world’s red lentils, which account for 60 percent of the world’s lentil exports, he added.
Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association president Levi Wood went on a trade mission to Japan last fall to reassure customers wondering about the loss of the single desk.
“It’s easy to say nothing has changed, but when you’re actually there speaking with people, you find out a lot of the kind of concerns or issues that we think we can just say, ‘and they’re done with,’ aren’t necessarily,” he said.
Wood also said the wheat marketing changes make it important to diversify the list of international market contacts.
