“Canadian food and beverage market is a high value market, of the size of about USD 120 billion. Canadian global imports in this sector in 2020 were about USD 36 billion, of which imports from India amounted to just about USD 427 million. Indian exporters can promote Brand India in the organic, Ayurvedic, vegan and health foods sectors”, said H. E. Mr. Ajay Bisaria , High Commissioner of India in Canada at the webinar on ‘Business Opportunities in Agro Commodities and Food Processing in Canada’ , jointly organised by World Trade Center Mumbai and High Commission of India in Canada in partnership with BC India Business Network.

H. E. Mr. Bisaria suggested, Canada has a very health-conscious population; and the food and beverage business is moving towards e-commerce. There also exist opportunities in niche sectors such as coffee, with retail coffee market in Canada having the potential to reach USD 4 billion by December 2021. Canadian coffee imports stand at about USD 1.9 billion.

Mr. Bisaria remarked, more than 80 per cent of fresh fruits demand in Canada is met through imports. Canada imported about USD 7 billion worth of fresh fruits and vegetables in 2020, which includes bananas, grapes, oranges, water melons, apples, potatoes etc. Canadian demand is well-aligned with India’s export strengths as India offers the entire gamut of fruits and vegetables. The key lies in synchronizing India’s production and processing with the food requirements in Canada.

During the programme, Mr. Anshuman Gaur, Deputy High Commissioner of India to Canada, made a presentation on the Canadian food and beverages market.

Mr. Gaur suggested, Canadian food and beverages market is a very quality-conscious and well-regulated market. Given that Canada is a cold country, with a short production season and limitations in the variety of products that can be produced, there is tremendous scope for exporting food and agricultural products to Canada. India’s exports to Canada in the food and beverages sector have been growing over the past five years.

He explained, Canada’s proximity and integration with the North American market, and similarity with the US and EU markets, make it an attractive export destination for Indians exporting to these markets. Canadians are willing to pay more for higher quality, however, the standards for approved chemicals and residue tolerances are very stringent. Food exporters to Canada need to be aware of the various food packaging, labeling and traceability requirements, safety standards and guidelines, safety investigation and recall process, testing bulletins, food incident and response process, and food borne illness outbreak response protocol in Canada.

New regulatory initiatives are coming into effect in December 2021 in Canada, requiring consumer-packaged foods high in sodium, sugar and / or saturate fats to carry front-of-package labels. It would also be required to display serving size, percentage daily value calculations, vitamins A and C removed, amount in mg for potassium, calcium, iron etc.

Earlier in his Welcome Address, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai suggested, “The High Commission of India in Canada has always been very active in promoting trade and business opportunities between India and Canada. Today, every country is talking about food security, and there lie vast opportunities between India and Canada in the food processing and agro-commodities sectors. Trade in these sectors also gives a fillip to various allied industries, such as machineries, equipment, packaging, marketing, distribution etc.”

Mr. Vivek Savkur , CEO, BC-India Business Network proposed the Vote of Thanks.

The programme was attended by members of trade and industry, academia, Consular Corps and MSMEs from India and Canada.