New Markets for New Products.

Only recently have nations such as Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India found their way into the lexicon of local businesspeople.

The last few years have seen a sharp rise in the production of specialty crops such as pulses as farmers look for higher valued alternatives to the traditional staples. As a result, Saskatchewan has gone from a non-player to one of the world's dominant suppliers of lentils and chickpeas, products that are mainstays of diets in nations such as Turkey or India.

Capitalizing on this new development the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership -- STEP -- is currently leading a string of Saskatchewan businesses on a three-week trade mission to the Indian sub-continent as well as Turkey. The objective is to secure markets for more pulses, specialty crops, associated equipment and investment attraction for added-value processors from Saskatchewan. Participants include a host of companies engaged in the seed supply and processing sectors as well as a long-time agricultural exporter, WestCan Alfalfa.

"We are looking for reliable contacts that will become legitimate business partners so we can develop our business in the future," explains WestCan's Cecil Werner. The company is looking to explore new markets for its expanding pulse crop activities.

"STEP has had a lot of experience in that part of the world so it's an excellent opportunity for us," Werner added.

The mission will be headed by STEP's Manager of International Development, Tim Marshall, a veteran of global trading activity who has particular success in opening the door to the Turkish market for Saskatchewan exporters.

"We want to create awareness about the Saskatchewan industry," says Marshall in detailing the reason for selecting these nations as target markets for this mission. "We are the largest producer of lentils and, although we're well-known, we've never done any of our own marketing. We want them to see that we are reliable producers of top quality products."