An Alberta llama producer refuses to sit back and let her business die because the lucrative American market is closed to Canadian animals.
Sue Wilde of Raymond has updated her website, developed a marketing plan and burned it to a CD that she will mail to her clients. She has boosted her advertising budget and will spend four days showing her animals at the coming Ag Expo in Lethbridge.
“We’ll see how it turns out,” said Wilde, who is determined to be a survivor despite the closed American border.
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In a normal year, Wilde is one of a dozen producers with high-quality llamas able to receive top American dollars for their animals sold in the United States.
“Our high end market is not nearly as strong as it is in the United States,” said Wilde, who added the decision to include all ruminants in the American border closure with the discovery of BSE in a Canadian cow hurt their industry unfairly.
“There have been a lot of people hurt by that decision.”
She’s written to Canadian politicians and sent a letter to American officials voicing her concerns, but has had no response.
“It’s very frustrating.”
Not willing to give up her business, Wilde has focused her marketing efforts in Canada. Wilde doesn’t know how successful she’ll be. With the American border closed, few Canadian producers are interested in improving the calibre of their animals with no potential market in sight.
