GrainsWest Fall 2018

Fall 2018 grainswest.com 35 Both Miller and Dias stressed the presentation of this comprehensive information package makes new crop missions a strong marketing tool that’s globally unique because, in contrast to Canada’s trade competitors, it includes the full value chain. Dias also noted that a benefit of the Canadian team approach is the strengthening of the value chain at home. “When you’re listening to a customer and their quality requirements, you can plan the research that needs to be done and what innovation we need to have in place to meet those requirements,” he said. “The whole value chain is listening to the same conversation.” The morning seminars generate questions and lead to separate meetings with individual companies and organizations. Dias said this is as productive as it sounds, and the relationships Canada continues to build with international buyers produce results. “When the customer trusts you, that goes a long way,” he said. Customer support continues during the year with Cigi providing technical information, as requested, to established markets such as Japan, and holding hands-on technical workshops in Canada and abroad for others that are less familiar with Canadian grain products. Technical exchanges conducted at Cigi’s Winnipeg headquarters during the summer months see customers visit Canadian farms to gain firsthand understanding of farming practices, a step Dias said is increasingly important in closing grain marketing deals. “Customers want to know where the food is grown, where it is coming from,” he said. Visiting farms, meeting with Cigi and CGC staff as well as grain exporters and participating in technical demonstrations, these technical exchanges typically end with a terminal elevator visit. Along the way, participants gain a comprehensive appreciation for the multi- level quality assurance processes central to the Canadian ag brand. Cigi also conducts technical missions within key markets, meeting with organizations. In these, solutions are devised to address buyer concerns. This may go as far as conducting research and supplying technical advice that will assist the company in producing the desired end-product results. New crop missions are also about building relationships. “The relationship and capacity building that is carried out during new crop missions is critically important if an access issue develops in a market,” said Dahl. For example, the 2017 Italian new crop mission addressed country of origin labelling collectively and in one-on-one meetings with customers and milling organizations. The 2018 new crop mission to Italy is scheduled for December. Having this team perennially in place to manage and expand trade relationships while promoting the quality and advantages of the product gives Canadian grain farmers an undeniable edge, said Auch. “The payoff is higher prices. It’s imperative that the value chain continues to do these new crop missions. If we’re not telling our story, then somebody else will tell it for us, and we might not like that message.” MAKING AND MAINTAINING MARKETS The Canadian wheat brand is well-recognized in export markets, with CWRS and Canadian Western Amber Durum especially well known. Cereals Canada is exploring ways in which this market differentiation can be extended to further wheat classes. For instance, in South America, which is now a large purchaser of Canadian Prairie Spring Red (CPSR), Colombia has been identified as a potential growth area for sales of CPSR. In addition to bread, it is also utilized by some nations in pasta and noodle making. A March 2018 investigative mission that included Cereals Canada, Cigi and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) was conducted to identify how Colombia is using CPSR it was purchasing and to determine what end products Canada could promote to increase the market. “Market development starts [by determining] what a country wants,” said Dias. “Canada needs to have a better understanding of what customers are looking for from CPSR.” In this self-perpetuating circle, the value chain, including AWC, can help direct its CPSR breeding activities toward the needs and wants of the marketplace. The CGCHarvest Sample Programgenerates the technical data supplied by new cropmissions.