This melting pot of Quebec consumers is fueling demand for ethnic,exotic, and specialty produce. “Ethnic fruit and vegetable sales have been on the rise from year to year,” confirms Cesare Della Santina, president of Montreal-based CDS Foods Inc.
In particular, Montreal’s thousands of restaurants are often on the lookout for unique fruits, vegetables, or herbs. With nearly 95,000 restaurants across Canada, more than half are based in either Quebec or Ontario. “The food scene in Montreal is amazing,” enthuses Global M.J.L.’s Jacques. “The restaurants have a reputation for specialty items, and that’s very good for us. The business is very active, and chefs around here are very creative.”
FRESH FORUM
Do you have concerns over the renegotiation of NAFTA?Gabriel Jacques, Global M.J.L., Ltd.
I haven’t followed the NAFTA deal very closely, but so far it seems like a lot of talk. I don’t feel like people are taking it too seriously at this point. For now, it’s business as usual.André Plante, Quebec Produce Growers Association
The fact that the trade balance favors Americans is not a big issue for us. If they decided to impose an import tax, they would be disadvantaged.Mark Tekin, Mont-Cal Logistics Inc.
Not really; somehow middle ground will be found.Marie de Tarlé Salmon, Quebec Produce Marketing Association
For the produce industry, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association takes part in the renegotiation of NAFTA to prevent issues with this vital trading relationship, and ensure the needs of the Canadian industry and consumers are met. The renegotiation of NAFTA is an occasion to modernize and strengthen this trading relationship.
But client requests for rare products can be tricky for suppliers. “It’s good for us, but it’s also a challenge to always say ‘yes’ [to] new products,” Jacques adds. “Whatever top chefs in New York City or around the world are using, whatever is trending, we need to keep up and find a way to source it.”
Specialty item requests vary by season, Jacques says, and range from hot peppers to exotic fruits. All in all, it’s a win-win. “We’re learning about new products every day as they pop up.” Demand comes from foodservice customers too, who would like Quebec growers to provide more locally-grown ethnic items to reduce imports. But in this case, there are barriers.
“Food chains would like us to produce more ethnic vegetables,” acknowledges QPGA’s Plante. “But producers are not interested because there are too many risks,” he points out. “Our crop insurance program does not provide protection for the cultivation of new products.”
Organics
Organics, too, are enjoying higher demand across a few categories. One some might find surprising is garlic. “We’ve seen an increase in organic garlic sales,” says Della Santina. “Garlic has become a staple in every household—it can be used for cooking, even desserts—now there’s even garlic ice cream!”
