Business opportunities - Growth and the transformation of Jerusalem artichokes

Opportunity: Investing in an untapped market - Jerusalem Artichokes

Sector: Organic Farming
Keywords: Jerusalem artichoke, organic farming, bio-food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, prebiotic, diabetic products, functional food, etc.

The Project

The project’s goal is to take advantage of the business opportunity provided by the only producer of artichokes in Quebec, which is located in the Acton region. Having already developed a highly specialized expertise in its vegetable production, this producer is now looking for partners so together they can be the first to market and benefit from the potential this vegetable offers. The products will be intended for both the food sector and manufacturers of prebiotics.

The Context

The Quebec market is becoming more and more welcoming of “unusual” vegetables, especially those that, like the Jerusalem artichoke, possess special gastronomic, therapeutic and nutritive qualities. However, cultivation of this vegetable in Quebec (particularly organic cultivation) is currently very limited. A short-term kick-start is all that’s needed to make this producer the leading supplier of organic artichokes, not just to large-chain grocery stores, but also to manufacturers of prebiotics.

Promoters

The developer has already been producing organic vegetables for 20 years. In addition to his expertise in vegetable production, the owner has conducted various projects— in research and development and in mechanical design— that had to do with how vegetables are harvested and packaged. He recently completed a project that sought to enhance organic vegetables for secondary processing operations like bulk dicing and bulk freezing for the food processing and ready-to-eat industries.

Marketing Targets and Strategies

The functional food market is booming, here as elsewhere. Prebiotics, nutraceuticals and foods for diabetics are all highly sought after by the health conscious, and the Jerusalem artichoke is enjoying increased recognition for being all three of these things. (It’s particularly good for diabetics.) The owner has already established contact with a manufacturer that specializes in marketing freeze-dried artichokes to makers of prebiotics and dietary supplements.

Moreover, there is at currently no well-organized operation in Quebec that produces artichokes, organic or otherwise. By making the most of this entrepreneur’s already-established distribution networks, it would be possible to develop and even take over the whole Quebec market in organic artichoke production, whether in bulk or by the pound.

Competition

The fact that production costs of an organic operation are basically similar to those of a conventional non-organic operation will make it very difficult for any non-organic operation to be competitive. With both at the same price, manufacturers of functional foods, consumers, distributors and large retail chains will always choose the value-added product; i.e., the organic product.

Crops and Production

The machinery for growing and harvesting artichokes on a larger scale is already in place, so the initial investment needed to begin the project of acquiring land and producing artichokes is thereby minimized.

For more information about this business opportunity, contact Mathieu Vigneault by email or by phone at 1 450 546-3203.