GrainsWest Fall 2018

Fall 2018 grainswest.com 33 such as Japan, Indonesia, China, Colombia and Peru. New crop missions also work to cultivate developing markets such as Bangladesh and Nigeria. Buyers in these new markets often blend Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat with cheaper Black Sea wheat. This allows them to produce higher quality flour at a lower price. Both of these emerging markets now import about one million tonnes of Canadian wheat annually. In an era marked by both uncertainty and opportunity in international agri- trade, competing nations have taken notice of Canada’s grain-marketing approach. A 2015 report by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre lauded the coordinated activities of Cereals Canada and Cigi and recommended the creation of Australia’s own Cigi-like organization. THE CANADIAN CONTEXT Structured as half-day events, new crop mission seminars are typically attended by representatives of the majority of the buyers and millers in the host country. Sessions are introduced by a Cereals Canada representative followed by farmer and exporter presentations. This portion of the session serves the first of two central functions, which is to provide industry context. On the export side, the logistics of the Canadian system are discussed. Buyers want to know how the country is addressing supply chain hitches that occasionally crop up. Next is the big marketing picture and production volume stats. What are the top exporting nations producing, where does Canada fit in and what can it deliver? Keen to understand the benefits of conservation tillage and the rationale behind crop input systems, attendees are also briefed on Canadian agricultural practices. Kevin Auch, who farms grains and oilseeds near Carmangay, attended the 2017 Latin American mission, speaking in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. Focusing on how Canadian wheat is grown, Auch stressed that farmers are conscientious about producing crops in an environmentally responsible manner. Practices he employs on his own farm sequester carbon and dramatically increase organic matter in the soil. This is an important selling feature of Canadian grain. He noted that the ethics of food production are just as much of a concern to grain buyers in developing nations as they are in First World countries. “That’s a good-news story they can tell their customers,” he said. “They know Canadian farmers use crop protection products properly. That gives them confidence in buying, and they know they’re selling healthy food to their customers.” On the 2017 Latin American new cropmission, Canadian delegates and staff members of Colombian milling company OrganizaciónMAS examine a wheat sample. Representatives of grain buyers andmillers in Singapore ask questions of the Canadian new cropmission presenters.