First-ever Saskatchewan commodity showcase connects producers with global buyers

Agricultural commodity buyers from more than a dozen countries are convening in Saskatoon to match with producers to diversify trade.

Gretha Rodriguez travelled from Panama City to Saskatoon to discover new products to bring back to the supermarket shelves in her country. “We are looking for raw materials for our production facilities as well as retail products for our chain of supermarkets in Panama,” said Rodriguez, a raw materials purchase manager with Riba Smith Group. Rodriguez is one of dozens of international buyers meeting with local agricultural producers at the province’s first global agricultural commodity showcase, an event designed to build new export opportunities and hosted by the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP).

For Rodriguez, meeting Saskatchewan producers in person has introduced her to products that could find a potential market back home. “Yesterday we met a company that produced camelina oil, and it’s a very interesting product for us,” she said. “It’s a different product for our customers in Panama.”

The event is a first for the non-profit organization focused on increasing export activity in Saskatchewan, pairing suppliers in the province with international buyers looking to