SPRUCE GROVE, Alta. — Federal funding to help promote Canadian food and beverages abroad gives a real boost to Canadian companies, says a director of the Canadian Honey Council.
Bernie Rousseau said the $600,000 funding would help companies such as Bee Maid Honey expand exports.
“The funding program is tremendously valuable. It really helps,” said Rousseau, who recently retired from Bee Maid but still represents the company on the Canadian Honey Council.
David Anderson, parliamentary secretary to the natural resources minister, made the funding announce-ment at the Bee Maid facility in Spruce Grove.
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The money will be used to help Food and Beverage Canada lead a joint trade mission to the Gulfood Show in Dubai next month.
“The investment enables us to continue to offer programs that work to maintain and develop markets around the world,” said Wendy Hindle, executive director of Food and Beverage Canada.
Canada exported $20 billion worth of food and beverages in 2010.
Rousseau said Bee Maid, a western Canadian honey co-operative, wants to increase its market share with value-added products.
It packs and ships more than 18 million pounds of honey a year to 30 countries.
Rousseau said China is a big market for honey and the co-op hopes to sell honey to South Korea once an agricultural free trade agreement is in place.
“If we get free trade on the rest of the agriculture products, the potential is unlimited there,” he said.
