Canadians are polite, self-effacing and not very pushy.
That can be a problem when trying to build market share for Canadian grains in overseas markets.
Canadian grain and meat industry officials and foreign buyers say Canada is falling flat in its promotional efforts compared to competitors.
The Canadian grain industry “is not aggressive like (American representatives) or Europe,” Said Badari, director of the Tunisian National Association of Millers and Pasta Manufacturers, said during a visit to Winnipeg April 17.
“They have to be more aggressive.”
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Abdellatif Isem, director of the National Federation of Millers of Morocco, who was with Badari for a Canadian International Grains Institute program for North African buyers, said the Canadian profile in the North African grain and milling industries is too small, considering the vast size of Canadian durum sales to the region.
“Certainly and surely the best promotion of a product is his quality and his price, but he also needs to be promoted in fairs … in North Africa, which is the client No. 1 of durum Canadian,” said Isem.
“Other countries we deal with, U.S., Europe, they are always present, saying, ‘I have wheat to sell.’ ”
Officials from CIGI, the Alberta Barley Commission and Agriculture Canada heard the same thing on a recent trip to Japan and South Korea, Americans and Australians are pushing hard to make more sales while Canada is more restrained.
Manitoba Pork Council general manager Andrew Dickson told the council’s annual meeting April 10 that some countries’ governments spend a lot of money on trade promotion at food trade conventions and events, while others, such as Canada, are less aggressive.
For example, Argentina recently had an expensive two-storey display at the world’s largest food industry show in Paris. Canada’s presence was more restrained and only partially funded by the government.
Dickson estimated the Canada Pork International display cost $400,000 to develop.
“If you look at some of these other exhibits, they probably spent $4 to $5 million,” he said.
Dickson said being seen by the world’s food industry is vital in terms of building awareness of Canada as a supplier and in establishing Canada as a provider of premium quality products.
“If you want to be in the world food business, it’s going to cost you money, and it’s not cheap,” said Dickson.
“This is big scale.”
Unlike countries such as the United States, which have a large domestic market, Canada has to rely on sales to foreign markets to clear the product.
“We depend entirely on exports,” said Dickson.
Canada has promotional agencies for most farm commodities, which tend to be funded by check-off dollars from farmers, money from processors and support from governments. CWB used to do the main promotional work in the wheat, durum and barley industry, but its ability to promote Canadian grain shrunk once it lost its marketing monopoly.
The North African visitors to CIGI encouraged CIGI to take on more of a role in promoting Canadian grains. Isem said he hoped the Canadian and North African milling industries could become closer.
“It is why I am here, to develop the relationship,” he said.
