During the 1990s Canada’s garlic acreage dropped dramatically due to pressure from foreign competition, most notably, China. Although the amount of garlic grown in Canada has increased, it has not kept pace with the increasing demand for domestic garlic by Canadian consumers and instead has created an undersupply of garlic. “As long as we have a good growing season, I don't see prices moving very much,” explains John Côté of John Boy Farms. “The next few years look very promising considering demand does not seem to be slowing and increases in production acres will take time to catch up.”
Garlic sells out quickly
In Canada, the majority of commercial garlic production occurs in southern Ontario and British Columbia. There are some pockets of production across the country; particularly for the specialty markets like direct to customer sales or garlic seed production. Domestic supply of garlic within Canada is seasonal with availability generally from August to January. “Any buyers of Canadian garlic need to place their orders very early as supplies tend to sell out quickly,” adds Côté.
Canadian grown garlic for Canadian market
Nearly all Canadian grown garlic is consumed within Canada due to tight import and export restrictions. Foreign growers also pose strong competition; therefore almost all demand for Canadian garlic comes from a domestic market. “The majority of domestic demand is for fresh garlic sold through independent grocery chains, local specialty stores, and directly to consumers,” states Côté, “There is also some demand for processing garlic that is used for products such as powder, oils and peeled ready to eat cloves.”
Why imported garlic costs less
China and California pose the biggest competition to Canadian garlic as these producers have no shortage in supplies. China can also grow garlic at a substantially cheaper cost than Canadian growers. “Right now we are seeing consumers having the choice between much cheaper foreign garlic and more expensive Canadian garlic that they perceive as having better quality and higher safety standards,” adds Côté
Canada's climate poses a threat
Aside from foreign competition, Canadian garlic growers face many threats on the domestic front. While disease management is a concern, John Boy Farms circumvents potential loss by closely monitoring their production before disease becomes a problem. Weather proves to be another big challenge for garlic growers to face due to Canada’s fluctuating climate. “We have cold harsh winters and summers known for unpredictable weather that can bring some extreme weather events which easily impact garlic crops, explains Côté, “garlic is especially sensitive to excess moisture, so heavy rainfall and wet summers often impact us.”
