Canada is a global leader in the production of North American ginseng and it plays an important role in the economy as the largest field grown horticultural exports.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of up to $849,192 to the Ontario Ginseng Growers Association for several activities through the AgriMarketing program.
This funding will help solidify Ontario Ginseng as a leading supplier of farmed North American ginseng, while contributing to the local economy and increasing Canadian agriculture exports for the industry.
The project aims to increase and diversify exports to international markets and seize domestic market opportunities through industry-led promotional activities.
These activities will help differentiate Canadian products and producers, and leverage Canada's reputation for high-quality and safe food while supporting the brand reputation of North American ginseng.
The Ontario Ginseng Growers Association will achieve these goals through market analysis of new and existing markets such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, India, Vietnam and other European markets.
This strategic investment in Canadian-grown ginseng will help the sector enter new markets, build its competitive advantage, and contribute to the Government of Canada's goal of growing Canada's annual agriculture and food exports to $75 billion by 2025.
90 per cent of Canadian-grown ginseng is exported, and 95 per cent of those exports are destined for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, where ginseng is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine.
New markets are emerging in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, India and Vietnam where focus on physical well being is increasing.
North American ginseng is native to Canada and is one of our oldest trades. Ginseng was found growing in the early 1700s near Montreal by a Jesuit Priest and has been traded for more than 300 years.
With more than 150 growers, the OGGA has the largest production of North American ginseng in the world. ■