Farmscape for April 15, 2008  (Episode 2817)

A study conducted by Canada Pork International has identified a range of opportunities for Canada to promote and expand the sale of its pork products on the international market.

To identify potential international marketing opportunities Canada Pork International conducted a Quality Perception Audit in its top markets.

The study focused on attributes that drive the decision to purchase meat, such as who has the best food safety system, the best meat color, the best marbling, the best price.

Technical programs and marketing services director Michael Young says distributors were asked about their perception of quality and where they get and profiles of the systems in each country were established to determine how well Canada is doing compared to its competitors.

Clip-Michael Young-Canada Pork International 

It comes down to individual product attributes but it also comes down to food safety systems that go beyond the price so it's a combination of functional and emotional attributes that you can associate with the product.

For instance, Canada's world class food safety systems, Canada's on farm food safety systems, Canada's selection process, our genetics, our history, our ability to deliver what the customer wants.

These are all important but again, consumer selection changes.

It's a moving target from country to country.

If you're talking about Asia, they're looking for very thinly sliced meat that is a little darker than what we might see here and has a little more marbling because they appreciate the texture and the mouth feel of that.

If you go to a market like Australia, they're looking for further processed products that's turned into hams and bacon and things like that so they're looking for a whole different set of attributes so again it's a moving target and you have to look at it from market to market.

Young says the audit concluded that Canada is well represented in the markets but there is more to be done.

For example, he says, we know we have a world class food safety system and suggests we need to connect with the end users so they understand what they're getting.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

-Michael Young was on hand last week to address the Manitoba Pork Council Annual General Meeting in Winnipeg.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council