This is the last part of a series on farmer exporters. Last week,
Brandon reporter Ian Bell profiled the experiences of several farmers
who export grain. This week, he reports on exporting tips from the
federal government.
Prairie producers wanting to dive into the world of international trade
by exporting commodities such as pulses, sunflowers, and special crops
need to look before they leap.
It can take years for such ventures to land on solid footing, and there
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are many risks.
Here are some suggestions from the federal department of international
trade and the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service for removing some of
the risk of failure.
Understand the markets into which you want to export. Explore demand
for the commodity and find out whether there are already competitors in
that market. Get a sense of the laws and customs requirements for
shipping there. They may entail more challenges than you care to tackle.
Start small by concentrating on one particularly promising market,
rather than jumping into several. That will let you test the
reliability of your customers and provide a sense of whether you have
the skills needed to be an exporter.
Don’t expect to get rich overnight. As in any business, it’s important
to have a contingency plan to cope with start-up problems.
Determination is one of the characteristics of prairie producers who
became successful exporters.
Where possible, make alliances with other processors and exporters of
farm commodities. It takes many skills to be an exporter. There are
times when it pays to enlist outside expertise. Freight forwarders and
customs brokers are among the specialists who can help take care of
details you may not have time for. But check the credentials of the
specialists hired.
Know what the customers expect in terms of quality and quantity. The
unpredictability of prairie weather may make it difficult to meet those
expectations some years. That may force you to abandon foreign markets
that have taken years to develop, unless you have a back-up plan.
Get to know the customers and their culture. Ideally, that rapport
should be established by meeting them in person.
Be prepared to modify the products you are exporting. The needs of the
customers can change over time.
