Money’s nice.
But money and connections are more than twice as nice.
That was the view of Prairie Orchard Farms when it went looking for investors last year to expand its production and sales of omega 3 pork and other products.
The company wanted more than money to expand its production. It also wanted to develop relationships that would allow it to get that product into the marketplace.
It thinks it hit paydirt with some Chinese investors. They not only provided the money for expansion, but introduced Prairie Orchard to meat marketers and producers in China who are keen to sell and produce omega 3 meat in that populous country.
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“We wanted the investors we found to create opportunities beyond just the investment,” said Willy Hoffmann, president of Prairie Orchard Farms.
“These investors introduced us to different groups and companies in China.”
Prairie Orchard staff have been to China three times in the last year developing business relationships, Hoffmann said.
The Chinese investors came Prairie Orchard’s way courtesy of Manitoba’s immigrant investor program. Business class immigrants need to invest money in Canadian companies to qualify for entry and Prairie Orchard intrigued some in China who understood exactly what the company was trying to achieve, Hoffmann said.
“Chinese are very health conscious and they believe that foods can have many health benefits,” said Hoffmann.
“So when we talked about the elements of our omega 3 meats, they knew that it would fit well with Chinese culture.”
Prairie Orchard meat is available in Canada at some high-end restaurants and in a small number of retail grocery stores. Some of its omega 3 pork, chicken and turkey is available in the United States.
The omega 3 fat in the meat is produced by feeding a special ration to the animals that includes flax.
Omega 3 is believed to lower the risk of heart disease, reduce the risk of developing cancer and can help treat immune disorders.
Hoffmann said the Chinese companies he is talking with have various plans for omega 3 meat. One company wants to import the meat and sell it in China. Another wants to produce the meat in China.
Another company wants to help establish an industrial green park in China that will produce high quality and healthy specialty food products, and it wants to use Prairie Orchard’s expertise.
Hoffmann said producing quality omega 3 products isn’t as easy as simply adding flax to an animal’s diet. The care of the animals and the production of the meat after slaughter must be carefully done because stress to the animals or meat can erode the omega 3 element in the product.
Prairie Orchard doesn’t produce its own meat in Canada. It is a research and development company that has expanded into systems management. The omega 3 pork in Canada comes from pigs grown by independent producers working under contract with Prairie Orchard.
Hoffmann said it has been hard to break into the retail business in Canada. No major chains carry Prairie Orchard’s meat, but he expects better results with a new sales approach. Instead of getting food marketing companies to include Prairie Orchard meats in their rosters of offerings, the company has hired its own crew of dedicated salespeople.
