British Columbia global foods strategy

January 3, 2017 – Victoria, British Columbia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the BC Ministry of Agriculture

Export success can depend on the quality and reliability of information and the established contacts on the ground in the new market. The Strategy highlights the value that having B.C. Trade and Investment Representatives in 13 international locations can provide in helping connect B.C. companies with buyers and trade representatives in key markets, as can participating in incoming and outgoing trade missions, and tradeshows and promotional events.

The strategy identifies the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong as priority markets for B.C. exports, as well as 17 secondary priority markets, and others with long-term growth potential. The strategy includes goals and targets for export growth, the diversification of export markets, the development of export capacity, knowledge and skills, and the opening of new markets for B.C. products.

B.C. food businesses exported more than 600 types of foods to over 150 markets in 2015 with exports reaching a record $3.5 billion. The B.C. government’s Export Ready Business Catalogue is also now available in Chinese, Japanese and Korean and has been distributed through B.C. government trade offices in all three countries. The guide represents B.C.’s diverse agri-food and seafood sector, and includes profiles of about 100 B.C. producers of fruits and vegetables, seafood, meat, packaged food, natural health products and beverage makers, ready to export B.C. products.

The International Market Development Strategy and the Export Ready Business Catalogue are funded through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative that provides a $3-billion investment over five years in innovation, competitiveness and market development.

Quick Facts:

• B.C.'s top five 2015 agri-food and seafood export markets were the U.S. ($2.5 billion), China ($343 million), Japan ($190 million), Hong Kong ($62 million) and South Korea ($54 million).
• Compared to 2014, the fastest growing of the top 10 export markets in 2015 were South Korea (up 62% or $21 million), Ukraine (up 56% or $6 million), China (up 32% or $84 million), the United Kingdom (up 26% or $5 million) and the United States (up 24% or $493 million).
• Of the $3.5 billion, B.C. exported $2.4 billion worth of agri-food products, to about 150 markets in 2015, an increase in value of 23% over 2014.
• The top five agri-food exports in 2015 were $294 million in natural health products and food preparations for manufacturing; $218 million in blueberries; $159 million in baked goods and cereal products; $131 million in mushrooms; and $124 million in chocolate and cocoa preparations.
• The remaining $1.1 billion were exports of B.C. seafood products to 79 markets, an increase of 15% in value from 2014.
• The top five seafood export products in 2015 were $411 million in farmed Atlantic salmon; $116 million in crabs; $50 million in shrimp and prawns; $44 million in hake; and $44 million in geoduck clams.

Related products

• Strategy putting British Columbia foods on the global menu

Contacts

Dave Townsend
Government Communications and Public Engagement
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture
250 356-7098
250 889-5945 (mobile)

Guy Gallant
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
613-773-1059

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
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