ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MARKET DEVELOPMENT continued from page 11 Jeff Barlow, District 6 (Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara) director and chair of Soy Canada, gives delegates from Taiwan a tour of his farm in Binbrook, Ontario. Photo: Soy Canada. HEARING DIRECTLY FROM BUYERS While buyers learned more about how Ontario soybeans are produced, the incoming missions also gave growers, exporters, and industry representatives an opportunity to hear directly from customers about what they need and value in Canadian soybeans. Canadian participants learned that characteristics such as protein content, seed size, colour, and processing performance can be important to food manufacturers. Traceability and sustainability are also becoming increasingly important. Dickerson notes that those conversations can influence more than marketing. They can help inform research and breeding decisions to support the entire Canadian soybean industry. “The meetings and discussions also extend into soybean breeding, with researchers and international customers discussing the characteristics that will be needed in future varieties,” explains Dickerson. “For Ontario's soybean industry, the challenge is balancing those customer requirements with other priorities, including yield, disease resistance, and cost of production.” For Lillian Wu of Shinn Cherng Co., a Taiwanese food ingredient importer that sources Canadian food-grade soybeans for wholesalers and food manufacturers, seeing the supply chain firsthand is an important part of building relationships. “I look forward to understanding how soybeans are grown on Canadian farms, how the processing system works, and how they travel to our Taiwanese market,” says Wu, noting that food safety and consistency are key considerations for her customers. “We have high standards for food safety, and as a supplier of food ingredient soybeans to our customers, it’s important for us to know who we’re working with, and how the ingredients are being produced for our market,” she says. Wu also points out that Canadian soybeans are valued for their consistency, explaining that “we value the quality, especially the stability of quality of Canadian soybeans.” For Canadian exporters, understanding what buyers value is an important part of maintaining relationships with customers in Taiwan and continuing to build demand for Ontario's specialty soybeans. BRINGING THE INFORMATION HOME For Soy Canada, Grain Farmers of Ontario, and other Canadian industry participants, the value of the trade missions goes beyond immediate business connections. Delegates from Japan tour facilities at the University of Guelph with soybean breeder Istvan Rajcan. Photo: Soy Canada. “These missions help us deliver on our strategic plan objective to grow Ontario soybean exports. - Dana Dickerson, Director, Market Development and Sustainability Grain Farmers of Ontario
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