THUNDER BAY — A juicy steak being carved up in a fancy Tokyo restaurant could easily originate from a beef cow that was raised a short drive from downtown Thunder Bay.
That's how Jason Reid sees it.
The veteran beef farmer who raises and sells cows on 140 acres of pasture on Thunder Bay's outskirts says there's no reason why local producers like him couldn't be supplying overseas gourmands, in addition to making local farm-gate sales.
"The demand for Ontario beef is growing around the world," Reid said. "The Asian market is huge."
To that end, Reid said he was heartened earlier this week when the province announced $4 million over four years to promote and market Ontario beef products "at home and beyond our borders."
Reid, who is an area rep for the Beef Farmers of Ontario, said Northern Ontario beef's niche is quality, not high production volume.
Also this week, the province doubled the amount of financial security it provides when cattle farmers apply for low-interest loans to acquire livestock or purchase farm equipment.
Under the beefed-up Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program, new farmers can be backed for up to $200,000, while experienced operators can finance up to $2 million under the same program.
The amounts had previously been increased in 2022.
Reid said the program, which was created in 1990, has been "low risk" to ensuing governments because it's a loan guarantee, "not a grant."
It's been particularly helpful, Reid added, to young farmers trying to gain a foothold in the industry during inflationary times and spiking costs for inputs like fertilizer and fuel.
"Forty per cent of our members are under 40 years old," he said.
Meanwhile, Reid said, heavy June rainfall in the Thunder Bay district helped make pastures plentiful for hay-making and grazing.
"There's a lot of (animal) feed in the region right now," he said.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative