சுவையான பதிவு இது சிறிது சிந்திக்கவும் வைக்கிறது கனடாவில், Ontario farmers experiment with ‘world crops’ For many newcomers, ethnocultural foods are not only a reminder of their homeland, but part of the diet they grew up with. For a long time, they had to put up with pricey and often stale produce imported from abroad and sold at ethnic grocery stores, or growing them in their own backyard. But in major urban centres, especially in the Greater Toronto Area, an increasing number of commercial farms, with help from the Ontario and federal governments, are experimenting with locally grown ethnocultural crops to meet the changing demands. Some of these domestically produced “world crops” — such as Asian long eggplant, Indian round eggplant, okra, yard long beans, amaranth, Indian red carrot, tomatillos and edamame — have slowly taken up shelf spaces that were once dominated by imports from Asia. In Toronto alone, says a study by University of Guelph professor Glen Filson, consumers from the South Asian, Chinese and African/Caribbean communities spend approximately $396 million, $252 million and $80 million respectively each year on ethnocultural vegetables. Every month, about $62 million worth of imported vegetables are sold to Ontario consumers. If locally grown world crops displaced just 10 per cent of imported ethnic vegetables, the shift could create a new market worth more than $6 million a month for Ontario farmers, the study notes. This month, the Ontario government announced a $30 million local food fund to market and promote domestically grown food, including the development and commercialization of world crops.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:54:15 +0000
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