Canadian prairie grain producers have been exporting their crops (wheat, corn, barley, peas, soybeans, etc. etc.) around the world for many decades. However, in an increasingly competitive and global economy, the system is still focused on selling and shipping bulk quantities … trainloads and shiploads. Even though Canada grows some of the highest quality grains in the world, Canadian farmers often get the commodity price rather than the premium price that their crops deserve.
I am working with a long-time colleague on an idea to change that. The goal is to build a website that is designed to showcase Canadian producers and Canadian crops in a way that a distant buyer will have enough information to risk contacting and working with the Canadian producer. It has some similarities to the concept behind AliBaba, but with many differences that reflect the specifics of an agricultural crop.