Canadian beef producers are trying to conquer the German market

Last year, Canadian exporters managed to sell products worth only 61,000 US dollars . With a population of 83 million and the fourth largest economy in the world, Germany is an attractive market for the Canadian agri-food industry. 

Some agricultural producers in CANADA, such as maple syrup suppliers, have been successful in the German market. Canada exported $42 million worth of maple syrup to Germany in 2019. However, other representatives of the agricultural business failed to achieve the same success.

Canada Beef hopes to improve sales figures in Germany. So, she began working with the Office of the Canadian Trade Commissioner in Germany as part of a campaign called "Taste of Canada".

“This initiative aims to educate German consumers about Canadian cuisine and typical Canadian food products available for purchase in Germany,” Canada Beef said in a June newsletter. “A website in German has been developed specifically for these purposes, posts are published on social networks about Canadian cuisine, recipes.”

A small amount of Canadian beef consumed in Germany is sold through restaurants, butchers and online retailers.

Canada Beef and a company supplying Canadian beef to Europe are having branding issues across much of the European Union. EU consumers are simply not aware of Canadian products.

According to Albert Ehringfeld, Executive DIRECTOR of Canadian Beef EXPORT Market Development, the goal of launching the Taste of Canada project is to try to improve the knowledge of Europeans, and therefore increase the export of Canadian beef to Europe in the long term.

Canadian firms and importers in Germany are promoting Canadian beef as a high-quality grain-fed product, which distinguishes it from grass-fed beef from Australia.

Such branding might help, but manufacturers don't spend a lot of money promoting their products.

Canada Beef has full-time marketing staff in Mexico, Japan, CHINA and Taiwan, but does not have a representative in Europe. This is because Canadian beef exports to Europe are low — Canada sold about $15 million worth of beef to all of Europe (not including the UK) in 2020. By comparison, annual exports to Japan are over $300 million.