Mustard shortage: One cubes more than multinationals

In anticipation of a shortage, a Quebec businessman bought all the remaining mustard seeds in western Canada to steal their place on grocery store shelves and outperformed multinationals.

“We invested heavily when we saw what was coming last year,” says Simon-Pierre Murdoch, founder and co-owner of Saguenay-based Canada Sauce.

In 2021 there was a shortage of mustard seeds due to bad weather in western Canada.

Harvest in Canada, the world’s largest producer, has suffered a 28% decline in 2021-2022.

“In August 2021, we purchased mustard seeds, astronomical quantities of vans and vans. We took everything that was left in the pits. We invested all our capital, ”says the businessman who has been producing mustard since 2019.

Today, Canada’s sauce “baseball” mustard is found in 1,800 outlets, and the company has signed an agreement to supply Costco.

World prices are exploding

Meanwhile, the global mustard market has been affected. Seeds are in short supply, their prices soaring, five times the value of 2020.

Russia, the world’s second-largest producer, has been hit by the embargo. Another major producer is Ukraine, whose fields have been destroyed by Russian tanks.

Industry giants like Maille and Heinz have a hard time getting raw materials. As in Europe, stock shortages are everywhere.

“You have undoubtedly noticed that some brands of mustard have been missing from supermarket shelves for days,” the magazine wrote. PointYesterday.

Each year, Canada exports 70,000 tons of yellow mustard, mostly to the United States. The popular “baseball” mustard, also known as common mustard, is produced there.

By 2022, Canada Sauce will use 20 to 30 tons of mustard seeds to produce its mustard.

“We’re a small player, but having good relationships with producers in the West pays off,” he says.

The Quebec Food Processing Council has taken note of this as well.

“The mustard growers here were warned of a bad harvest and were able to store some. But this year’s production must be good, otherwise we will be in the same situation in Europe, ”explains Sylvie Glutier, CEO of the organization.

What to bet on local products can lead to beautiful surprises. And seize opportunities.

“We have 10% of the mustard market in Quebec, and we think it could go up to 30-40% this year, out of all that happens,” says Simon-Pierre Murdoch.

Why is there a shortage of mustard?

Remember last year’s heat dome? Canada, the world’s largest producer, has seen a 28% drop in mustard seed production due to the drought. The second producer? Russia suffers sanctions In France, mustard production fell from 12,000 tonnes in 2016 to 4,000 tonnes in 2021 due to the cold, but the use of certain pesticides has been banned. In short, this is the perfect storm.