Loblaw promotes Ontario corn-fed beef

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

by PAT CURRIE

Loblaw Companies Limited, the largest grocery organization in Canada, has launched a major thrust to boost sales of Ontario corn-fed beef through 150 Loblaw and Loblaw-affiliated supermarkets in Ontario.

"This is excellent news for the beef community," Jim Clark, executive-director of the  Ontario Cattlemen’s Association said Tuesday in advance of today’s kickoff.

"I see a lot of opportunities to build a sustainable future" for beef producers, including farm families that weathered the storm of the mad-cow epidemic that ravaged the Canadian beef industry starting in 2003, Clark said.

So far, 240 of the province’s beef producers are on board under the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Program. Loblaw has committed to including "up to 500" producers and processors as the program gathers steam, said Rodney Koning, the company’s vice-president of meat and seafood procurement.

Koning said the 150 stores involved in the program will mean processing 2,500 to 3,000 head of cattle per week. He said the Ontario corn-fed beef program may be replicated in other locally grown food products.

The Loblaw empire includes many regional chains across Canada but the Loblaw corporate and franchised retail stores most directly affected are under the Zehrs Markets, valu-mart, Your Independent Grocer and  BloorStreet Market grocery stores banners.

Ontario Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell, more than a dozen beef-farm families and Loblaw representatives were slated to gather at Tremblett's valu-mart, 1500 Bayview  Avenue in Toronto today (Wednesday) to launch the  program.

Loblaw launched the campaign after research conducted by the Ontario government showed that 63 per cent of consumers said supporting Ontario farmers was a reason for buying Ontario-produced or -processed foods. BF