BC Business
Okanagan apples are among B.C. biggest fruit exports
A trade delegation from B.C.’s agrifoods sector travelled to Mumbai, India last week to participate in one of India’s largest food and beverage trade shows.
The delegation was made up of wineries, seafood companies, and organic and natural food business from B.C., among others. B.C.’s Ministry of International Trade is using the trade show as a platform to introduce B.C. food producers to new buyers and importers in India and to strengthen existing trading ties.
“India represents a huge opportunity for B.C. food producers to increase their sales,” says Minister of Agriculture Pat Pimm.
It wasn’t Karnail Singh Sidhu’s time to the Annapoorna – World of Food India trade show. The owner of Kalala Organic Estate Winery says that he has been to the trade show before and will likely go again, as he looks to expand his wine business in India. He already has outlets in India that carry his wine and sees the opportunity to participate in the trade show as a way to open up the wine market in the growing county.
“It’s a huge market. India has the highest population of young people in the world, 50 per cent of their population is under the age of 35 and the new generation there is leaning more towards drinking wine than drinking hard liquor,” he says.
The popularity of B.C. food and beverage products is on the rise, posited the Ministry of International Trade in a statement. In 2012, B.C. exported $2.5 billion worth of agrifood products to over 130 different markets, an increase of 8.3 per cent from 2011. With 864 vineyards, B.C. wine exports have grown from $1.4 million in 2008 to $8 million in 2012. Additionally, B.C. is Canada’s largest producer of blueberries, raspberries, apricots and sweet cherries.
The Annapoorna – World of Food India trade show took place September 23 to 25. The 2012 trade show hosted over 6,000 trade buyers from 30 countries and 134 companies. The B.C. companies and organizations that attended the show this year include: Pyramid Wine Exports Ltd., Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Everland Natural Foods Inc., BC Blueberry Council, Aqualine Seafoods Ltd., Select Seafoods Ltd., Port Fish Ltd., Von Albrecht & Associates, Flying Fresh Air Freight, Flow Natural Canadian Organic Brands, Organika Health Products Inc. and Tropical Link Canada Ltd.