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Canadian durum wheat and pasta brochure
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The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) markets quality durum grown by western Canadian farmers to more than 40 countries around the world. It is primarily used for pasta and couscous, which is a staple dish in North Africa.
Italian pasta makers are among the top buyers of Canadian durum. Other valuable customers are in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), South America (Venezuela, Chile, Peru) and the United States. Canada's own domestic pasta industry purchases roughly 300 000 tonnes of durum a year and is usually among the top five buyers.
Global buyers value Canadian durum for its consistent high quality and for the ease of supply that results from our superior marketing and grain handling systems. International durum customers are regular visitors to downtown Winnipeg, where a pilot pasta plant is operated by the Canadian International Grains Institute (supported by the CWB and the Government of Canada). Here, customers gain first-hand knowledge of the quality of pasta products made from our durum wheat. Visitors also stop by the CWB's Main Street office to enhance their relationship with our durum marketers.
Pasta is a delicious and healthy food. As a ready source of protein and complex carbohydrates, it has become one of Western society's staple foods. Modern food science has revealed that pasta is high in minerals such as iron, phosphorus, and essential B vitamins (Thiamine, Niacin and Riboflavin). Now it is also fortified with folic acid, which is important to the early development of infants in the womb. The best pasta in the world is made from the best durum wheat in the world – Canada Western Amber Durum.
The CWB is by far the largest durum exporter in the world, with 50 to 60 per cent of global market share in any given year. Canada grows more durum than any other country. Each year, western Canadian farmers seed five million to six million acres of durum – making it Canada's fourth-largest grain crop behind spring wheat, canola and barley.