New funding will help send western Canadian companies and their products abroad.
On Sept. 3, officials revealed the details of a partnership that will provide more than $1 million to the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership to co-ordinate trade missions and trade show appearances.
Funds are provided through Western Economic Diversification Canada.
“We are big believers in being in the marketplace and knocking on doors and introducing ourselves and then finding out about culture and custom to make sure we understand how this process works,” said STEP president Lionel LaBelle.
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Over the next two years, the initiative will send companies from the four western provinces to events in Asia, Europe, South America and the United States geared toward specific sectors, including several for agriculture, machinery and agri-food.
LaBelle used Saskatchewan yellow pea exports as a success story from previous missions, which started with one company in China 15 years ago.
“Bit by bit, we just kept working that market and it has now blossomed to just a record business model for us,” said LaBelle.
“Today, Chinese vermicelli noodles come from Saskatchewan yellow peas.”
