Department to Host Inbound Canadian Trade Mission

Canadian buyers looking to establish relationships with produce farmers

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 12, 2017) – In an effort to open new markets for local farmers, the Maryland Department of Agriculture will host meetings with Canadian produce buyers July 24-25. Buyers are specifically looking to develop sources for watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens, and sweet corn.

“I encourage Maryland produce growers take advantage of this international marketing opportunity,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder. “International markets create more opportunities for our farmers to grow, and can provide relief when local demand decreases.”

To register for the meeting, contact Stone Slade at stone.slade@maryland.gov or 410-841-5779. Registration fee is $25, and includes pre-arranged one-on-one meetings with Canadian buyers. Deadline for registration is May 12.

This in-bound trade mission is a joint project by Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina’s agriculture departments. The Canadian buyers will be traveling to Virginia and North Carolina after visiting Maryland. All three states are members of the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) which coordinates international marketing initiatives with state agriculture departments from Maryland to Texas.

In total, Maryland exported $7.4 million of fruits and vegetables to Canada in 2016. This number includes $704,000 worth of watermelons in 2016, according to Euromonitor International—this number has been increasing steadily from $9,404 worth of watermelons in 2004.

For more information on this inbound trade mission, visit the SUSTA website.

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