| | Background
As consumer demand grows for fruit and vegetables, so do the market opportunities. Canadian imports and exports of fruit and vegetable products have been steadily increasing. At the same time, the global market place has changed making it more of a challenge for local producers to compete. There has been an increasing number of mergers and consolidation within the distribution system, along with greater technological demands being placed on suppliers. Alberta’s geographic location and climate make it more difficult to maintain a consistent supply of large volumes, compared to the large United States markets. Food safety is another issue that has put pressure on the system, due to transporting food over longer distances and having a wider distribution, than in previous years. With all these changes, a careful look is needed to determine how Alberta and other Western Canadian provinces can best use their resources to tap into the market. The purpose of this paper is to look at the trends and drivers within the fruit and vegetable industry; identify potential markets for small to medium-sized producers, processors, marketers and industry associations; and to suggest activities to access those markets.
Abstract
Market forces in the fruit and vegetable industry, takes a look at global changes and recent trends in the market place. Mergers and consolidation within the distribution system, greater technological demands, food safety and the wider distribution of food are some of the factors behind the trends. With this changing market, a careful look is needed to determine how Alberta and other Western Canadian producers and processors can best use their resources to tap into the market, through research, partnerships, market segmentation and other activities.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to those from the Economics and Competitiveness Division, who helped with their expertise; Magda Beranek, Unit Administrator, for her desk top publishing skills, and Carri Hall, Knowledge Management Coordinator, for her editing and formatting capabilities.
For the whole document please see the pdf file attached. | |
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