Catfish: Eastern Canada's Catching On - Statistical Data Included

When the United States opened its new embassy in Ottawa, there was a gala luncheon, featuring U.S. farm-raised catfish.

It was great timing for a U.S. trade association trying to establish farm- raised catfish in the region. Even better, the Ottawa Wine and Food Show opened the next day.

"We couldn't have asked for a more auspicious launching for our Canadian marketing program," said Jean Valentine, The Catfish Institute's (TCI) export consultant. "It was so much more effective than just putting out a press release telling the industry we were in their market."

U.S. catfish is fairly new to Canada, but this trade association has studied the country like a book. They hired a private marketing research firm and talked with experts in FAS' Fish and Forestry Products Division before starting their Canadian campaign.

"There are a lot of advantages," explained Valentine. "Canada is a next-door neighbor, so transportation costs are less than shipping overseas. Our research showed Canadian consumers were looking for a quality white fish-and the best place to start was Eastern Canada."

While catfish thrive in Canada's waterways, these wild fish have a very different quality from the U.S. product.

"One of the first things people want to know is how this is different from Canada river catfish," said Ken Berger, TCI's Canada marketing expert. "The catfish from Canada's rivers have different colored flesh--it's redder and the taste is earthier."

Berger says he makes a point of telling potential customers that U.S. catfish are farm-raised, fed on a diet of grain pellets and that the meat is ivory white.

"In Canada, we call the fish we catch in the river barbue. We are in the process of obtaining the right from Canadian agencies to call the U.S. product Silure which is actually a synonym for the word "catfish" in French."

Doing It Right by Going Slow

Valentine said the first thing she and Berger have to do is establish distribution channels. That means getting supermarkets and restaurants to buy into the idea of U.S. catfish and agreeing to carry it before any kind of aggressive consumer campaign is conducted.

"The worst thing we could do is take our marketing directly to the public and generate a consumer demand when the public is unable to buy the product," she explained.

Berger and Valentine have worked hard at trade shows. They have also used $150,000 from FAS' Market Access Program to promote U.S. catfish in Canada. Their efforts are paying off.

"We have had some success with the Loblaws supermarket chain in Ontario," said Berger. "They participated in promotions and in-store sampling of U.S. farm-raised catfish. One popular item was a marinated catfish."

To embolden consumers to go beyond marinades, Berger plans to use recipes as part of his future promotions. Recipes will help demonstrate "the huge variety of ways this fish can be enjoyed," he said.

While consumers may be cautious, Valentine notes the first test of the market was a success.

"We had a 90-percent sales rate in most of the stores--and in some outlets the product sold out."

Selling the Southern Style

So what's special about this fish? One thing that seems to attract consumers up North is the lure of the deep South.

"There is definitely a Southern mystique, and it really sells," said Valentine. "We have also used it to our advantage in Germany. It is very helpful."

"We are very clear about the product being from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Arkansas," said Berger. "People here associate that region of the United States as a place with warm weather, Mardi Gras and fun."

Berger says that there may be another reason consumers from eastern Canada find U.S. catfish so appealing.

"Part of it may be thanks to the "snowbirds" (that's what we call people who head south each year to escape our cold weather). They make stops along the way and get exposed to new foods, flavors and tastes. They are quick to tell their friends back home what they found."

A Cultural Insider Makes a Difference

Valentine said that it was essential to have someone like Berger on the TCI's Canadian ream. Berger, who grew up in Montreal, gives the group insights into consumers' tastes and trends. He also helps bridge language gaps.

"For a Canadian campaign, bi-lingual promotions are a must. Recipes must appear in both French and English, for example," he said. "And it's not only words, measurements for cooking have to be converted to metric."

Berger's language skills came in handy at a restaurant trade show in Montreal when the chef preparing the samples spoke only French.

In addition, Valentine said that TCI's video that shows the care with which the fish are raised, was by commercial necessity dubbed into French.

While it may be too soon to tell how catfish will do, the product appears to be off to a good start in Canada.

"We offered samples of the product to 1,000 representatives of the food services industry and we received rave reviews," said Berger. "And believe me[ldots] if these people don't like your product, they won't be shy about saying so!"

The author is an agricultural economist with FAS' Forest and Fishery Products Marketing Division in Washington, D.C.

Ottawa Opening a Big Success

The embassy luncheon was an opportunity for many other groups besides The Catfish Institute. This multi-commodity event featured products by 11 U.S. groups, including California Tomato Growers, USA Rice and several wine trade groups. The cost to participate: $2,500.

Pooling production costs and taking advantage of the prestigious setting paid off in enormous exposure. The publicity was estimated to be worth $250,000, including that generated by the Ottawa Wine and Food Show, televised cooking demonstrations, newspapers and specialty magazines.

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