Saskatchewan is world-renowned as a consistent supplier of high-quality, safe agricultural products, including ingredients for a variety of foods such as cereals, beverages, baked products, snacks and bars.
Major crops include cereals (spring and durum wheat, oats, barley and rye), oilseeds (canola and flax), pulses (peas, chickpeas and lentils), specialty crops (mustard seed, canary seed and wild rice) and fruit crops (saskatoon berries and sour cherries). Saskatchewan had another successful year in 2017, with agri-food exports valued at $13.6 billion, representing almost one-quarter of total Canadian agri-food exports. Saskatchewan’s largest trading partner for food exports is the United States, which reached $3.6 billion in 2017. Furthermore, Saskatchewan exports over $200 million worth of agricultural products to 12 individual countries. Saskatchewan often represents Canada to those markets.
Saskatchewan is home to almost 40% of Canada’s certified organic land, with more than 800 certified producers, over 85 organic processors and handlers.
Functional Food Ingredients
Oat constituents
Beta-glucans from oats and barley
Flaxseed
Camelina oil
Essential fatty acids
Fenugreek gum
Hempseed products
Pea and lentil fractions (starch, fibre, protein)
Micronized pulses and grains
Herbal products
Mustard seed
Specialty fruits (saskatoon berries, sour cherries,
haskap berries and seabuckthorn berries)
Cereals
Pasta is big business for Saskatchewan farmers, who are global leaders in durum production. Saskatchewan “spaghetti farmers” produce 78% of Canada’s durum wheat, and the province is the number one Canadian exporter of durum wheat, exporting 3.4 million tonnes to over 30 different countries.
Saskatchewan accounts for almost half of Canada’s barley exports.
Saskatchewan is the world’s number one exporter of oats, accounting for 963,000 tonnes or 33% of world oat exports. Saskatchewan is also a leading exporter of rye. The top export market for both oats and rye is the United States.
Oilseeds
Saskatchewan is the world’s number one exporter of canola seeds (6.4 million tonnes), canola meal (2.0 million tonnes) and canola oil (1.5 million tonnes).
Saskatchewan is also a world leader in the production and export of flaxseed. The province represents 76% and 22% of Canada’s and the world’s flaxseed exports, respectively.
Saskatchewan is Canada’s leading producer of mustard seed. Saskatchewan mustard production accounts for 78% of Canada’s annual production, and over half of it is exported to the United States and Belgium.
Pulses
Saskatchewan is a global leader in the production of lentils, peas and chickpeas. Today, 90% of lentils (2.3 million tonnes), 48% of dry peas (2.0 million tonnes) and 99% of chickpeas (86,000 tonnes) produced in Canada are grown in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan exports 41% of the world’s lentils and 36% of the world’s peas.
Fruit
Saskatoon berries are considered a super-fruit, containing high sources of antioxidants. Saskatchewan has 20% of Canada’s farms reporting saskatoon berries,
and 36% of Canada’s total acreage. Saskatchewan’s acreage for commercial saskatoon berries is about 1,000 acres.
Sour cherries in Saskatchewan have dark red skin and contain dark red juice. Saskatchewan has about 17% of farms (210 acres) reporting sour cherries, and 8% of Canada’s total acreage.
Saskatchewan also grows seabuckthorn, a fruit known for extremely high vitamin C content (as much as 15% more than an orange), carotenoids, vitamin E, amino acids, dietary minerals, β-sitosterol and polyphenols. Seabuckthorn is currently grown on a small scale, with about 300 acres planted and 50 acres harvested annually.
Medicinal herbs, essential oils, spices, and both dried and fresh culinary herbs are also processed in the province. These are used to create leading-edge health products that are exported globally.
For more information, contact:
Ms. Chandra Mark
Deputy Director, Investment
Saskatchewan Ministry of Trade and Export Development
1000, 2103 11th Avenue
Regina, SK S4P 3Z8
Phone: (306) 787-9101
Fax: (306) 787-3989
E-mail: [email protected]
