The latest trend to buy local does not always apply to the beef business.
Beef imports are increasingly supplementing short Canadian supplies in supermarkets and restaurants.
“They are buying as much Canadian as they can get and supplementing with U.S. product,” said Glenn Brand, head of the Beef Information Centre (BIC).
When BSE closed trade in 2003, a successful campaign was launched to buy Canadian and BIC is continuing to work with restaurants committed to using Canadian product.
“Ontario retailers have trouble getting enough Canadian product to meet their requirements so often they are required to bring in U.S. product to meet their supply requirements.”
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Price is also a factor.
Brand said Canadian cutout values are higher than American cutouts.
Canada has always been an active exporter and importer.
Its best export year was 2002 when it sold 612,630 tonnes of beef. It also imported 311,320 tonnes.
In 2008, Canada produced 1.2 million tonnes of beef. It exported 477,610 tonnes but imported 192,200 tonnes, mostly from the United States in the form of beef from cattle younger than 30 months.
BIC said Canada imported 22,000 tonnes from New Zealand, 10,000 tonnes from Uruguay and 6,000 tonnes from Australia.
New Zealand ships to Canada a lot of virgin bull meat used in further processing such as pastrami and deli roast beef.
The economic recession is also affecting the beef trade.
There is less business travel and fewer people are dining at restaurants where they might order a steak. These days people are watching grocery store sales features and eating more at home, which gives retailers a chance to promote Canadian product.
BIC’s beef brands strategy has signed up 39 companies, including Costco, Canada Safeway and McDonald’s that are willing to use the red maple leaf logo on their packages, menus and advertising.
