Running Head: FINAL PAPER FOR CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT

Final Paper for Canadian Export Project: Broccoli Seeds to Nepal

Kayleigh Pollowy-Blink
AGR 1110
Professor Raizada
University of Guelph
Tuesday, December 1st, 2015
Word Count: 2943

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

Part 1: Product Information

Product Description
Broccoli is one of the healthiest foods that you can eat and was ranked 3 rd in The
Top 10 Healthy Foods from Medical News today. Broccoli is full of potassium, folate,
fiber, calcium and phytonutrients, and is known to have preventative qualities as well for
illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer. Broccoli
also has beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, which helps with the
immune system, good eye health, vision, mucus membranes as well as healthy skin
(Medical News Today, 2015). Broccoli also has 150% of the recommended daily intake
of Vitamin C, which helps the immune system fight off infection (Medical News Today,
2015). This nutrition packed vegetable is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, which
includes other common vegetable such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale.
(Medical News Today, 2015). Figure 1 depicts the nutritional value for 1.00 cup of
broccoli. As shown, there are very high levels of Vitamin C and K and many other
essential nutrients.
Broccoli is considered a cold season crop which allows harvesting in the fall an
spring in most countries. Being a cold season crop, you must harvest the broccoli
before it reaches 23.89 degrees Celsius and grows best in temperatures between 723.89 degrees Celsius (Albert, 2015). This vegetable is also frost hardy and can
withstand temperatures of minus six degrees Celsius (Albert, 2015). Premature bolting
would occur if broccoli was grown in temperatures higher then the suggested
temperature and this plant also prefers full sun (Cornell University, 2006). Broccoli
needs consistent moisture, has a preference of well-drained soil that contains high

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

levels of organic matter (Cornell University, 2006). They range in hight between 2-3 feet
and span approximately the same, 2-3 feet (Cornell University, 2006). Pests that effect
broccoli are flea beetles, cabbage root maggots, cabbageworms, cabbage aphids,
cutworms as well as slugs and snails (Cornell University, 2006).
It is suggested by Cornell University that you should sow seeds indoors for 6 to
8 weeks before average last spring frost (Cornell University, 2006). It is also suggested
to keep the soil warm until germination occurs, and then to grow the plants at an
average of 15.5 degrees Celsius. After the plants have sowed inside for 4 to 6 weeks,
planting them in the garden 12 to 20 inches apart is ideal (Cornell University, 2006). The
stages of growth are demonstrated in figures 2-6, from sowing the seeds to the fully
grown, healthy broccoli plant.
Canadian Involvement
A company called Mumms Sprouting Seeds is where the broccoli seeds will be
coming from. This company has been farming organically since the 70s and they sell
high quality organic sprouts of all kinds. They are located in Shellbrook, Saskatchewan
and their warehouse is in Parkside, Saskatchewan (Mumms Sprouting Seeds, 2015).
They ship all over Canada and the US and they also export around the world. When it
comes to their broccoli seeds, they last well for a year after purchase and if you are able
to store in a fridge or freezer, this extends the germination life of the seeds for a lot
longer (Mumms Sprouting Seeds, 2015). Table 1 is the contact information from Lois
Thompson, who is a nutrition advisor from Mumms Sprouting Seeds that I was in
contact with for information on their products. Figure 8 is a photo sent to me by Lois
Thompson in order to demonstrate the difference between the 1kg bag that is sitting on

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

top with Mumms logo on it, and the white bag bellow it that is a 5kg bag. Table 2
outlines the different costs for different bag sizes of broccoli seeds.
There are other companies that could have supplied broccoli seeds to Nepal, but
Mumms Sprouting Seeds was ideal due to wanting to support and grow further
employment in Canada, and the fact that they provide all natural, organic seeds. Table 3
describes 3 different companies, including Mumms Sprouting Seeds, a second
Canadian company, and a company outside of Canada. Sending 1kg bags will be ideal
for the people of Nepal, so taking that into consideration, the cost of Mumms seeds is
the most cost effective.
Providing seeds from a small farming company has its pros and cons. With the
exportation of broccoli seeds from this company, providing more employment for
Canada would be an outcome of joining forces with Nepal. If Nepalese people were to
want to continue to import broccoli seeds, Mumms Sprouting Seeds would need to
employ more staff in order to keep up with the demand. Although it may not provide a
large employment growth, since it is a small company still, providing even a few more
employment opportunities for Canadians would help with employment rates. Exporting
broccoli seeds to Nepal would also help with our economy because it is another form of
export that Canada would be able to sell to the Nepalese people. This product would be
continued to export to Nepal as the demand for broccoli seeds increased in Nepal.
Exporting seeds to Nepal would also help with the growing unemployment rates
in Nepal by providing job opportunities for those in the agriculture sector as well as
those that are not. Needing more farmers to keep up with the demand for broccoli seeds
would provide many more jobs for the people of Nepal.

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Part 2: Critical Analysis of Potential Benefits to Nepal

Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked country that is located between China and India and is
approximately 147,181 square kilometers (Smith, 2015). The capital of Nepal is
Kathmandu, and the estimated population as of July 2014 was estimated to be
30,986,975 (Smith, 2015). Nepal is broken up into three geographic areas, the
himalayan region, which makes up approximately 15% of the total land, the hilly region,
which makes up 68% of total land and the Terai region, which is approximately 17% of
total land (Nations Encyclopedia, 2015). Within Kathmandu, during the rainy seasons,
which occurs between June and August, on average it rains between 200-375
millimeters. During the year, the average rainfall is 1300 millimeters in the capital of
Nepal (Visit Nepal, 2012). Natural hazards that effects agriculture and the people of
Nepal is earthquakes, drought, flooding and landslides (Smith, 2015).
Nepal is one poorest counties in the world, ranking 197 th in Gross Domestic
Product, and as of 2008, over a quarter of the population lived below the poverty line
(Nations Encyclopedia, 2015). The currency in Nepal is called Nepalese rupees which
for ever dollar Canadian is 101 Nepalese rupees (Smith, 2015). Approximately 46% of
the people in Nepal are unemployed and over 80% of the working population in Nepal
are involved in agriculture (Smith, 2015). The staple crops of Nepalese people are
wheat rice and maize, and rice make up 1.5 million hectares of the total cultivated land
in Nepal (Nations Encyclopedia, 2015). Wheat and Maize is grown on approximately the
same hectares of land, and makes up roughly 1 million and 1.5 million metric tons of
crop (Nations Encyclopedia, 2015).

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

Temperatures in Nepal ranging from 16-23 degrees Celsius in the spring, 23-25
degrees in the summer season, 15-24 degrees in the fall months and 9-12 degrees in
the winter months (Visit Nepal, 2012), this makes broccoli, which is a cold season crop,
ideal for Nepal. Broccoli must be harvested before temperatures rise consistently above
24 degrees Celsius which means broccoli could be grown during spring, fall and winter
months. The best temperatures for broccoli to grow in is between 7 degrees Celsius and
24 degrees which would allow for high crop yields in Nepal throughout the year (Visit
Nepal, 2012).
Who will purchase?
With the price of broccoli seeds, as demonstrated from Table 2 for Mumms
Sprouting Seeds, I estimate that broccoli seeds will be purchased individually by
farmers in smaller quantities, or purchased in bulk and shared through a co-op. Farmers
of Nepal will be able to grow this crop in seasons where crop yield for other products
are low, which will allow them to continue to sell products all year long. With the ability
to grow broccoli seeds in the spring, fall and winter months, this will allow the people of
Nepal to continue to have higher supplies of vitamin rich vegetables, while not having
the ability to grow their staple crops. Having farmers purchase in bulk will allow for lower
costs, but this will also increase the potential storage issues with the broccoli seeds.
Exports and Imports
Figure 9 demonstrates the imports and exports between Canada and Nepal from
2009-2013 (Nepalese Canadian Network, 2015). The growing trend for imports from
Nepal has gone down from 2011-2013, and the exports has consistently gone up over
the 5-year range (Nepalese Canadian Network, 2015). Chart 1 is demonstrating the

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data obtained from figure 9 in a more visual demonstration so it is clear to see the
changing figures over the five-year period (Nepalese Canadian Network, 2015). Top
exports from Canada to Nepal includes lentils, optical media, peas, rangefinders, turbopropellers, mechanical appliances and newsprint and machines. Top imports from Nepal
to Canada includes Christmas articles, textile garments and apparel and carpets
(Nepalese Canadian Network, 2015).
Shipping Costs
The cost to ship broccoli seeds to Nepal is fairly expensive based on the price of
the seeds. For Mumms Sprouting Seeds, they suggest Canada Post, Purolator or UPS
and the seeds ship directly from Parkside, Saskatchewan where their warehouse is
located. After doing three quotes through these suggested companies, as shown in
Table 5, Canada Post was the most cost effective, shown in Table 4. For shipping a 1kg
bag of broccoli seeds, the prices vary from $18.78-$172.95 based on the length of the
parcel being 10 inches, the width being 5 inches, the height being 2 inches and the
weight being 1kg. These numbers are approximate based on Figure 8 and the size of
the bag shown. There is also an estimation for the 5kg bag which has a much higher
shipping cost based on weight and size. Canada Post had the most options for how the
package could ship to Nepal. There were five different options for Canada Post, two
options for UPS and only one option for Purolator.
Nepalese who might be hurt or suffer from importing broccoli seeds would be the
farmers that already produce products consumed by the Nepalese. This product could
greatly effect the sales they make and be in competition with what is already available in
Nepal. Having a conflicting product could also deter some of the agriculture already in

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

Nepal. Although this could hurt some of the farmers of Nepal, this will also produce
employment opportunities for people that might already be involved in agriculture and
those who are not already employed in the agriculture sector of Nepal and are looking
to enter into this sector. Providing seeds to Nepal would allow for farmers to plant other
products that are hardy, healthy and could allow for promotion of physical health for the
people of Nepal.
Part 3
Competitive Products
There are companies that could be in competition with Mumms Sprouting Seeds that
could supply Nepal with broccoli seeds at competitive prices. A company called Gan Ian
zhong zi broccoli seeds from China is selling 1kg bags for between $30-$50 (Alibaba,
2015). This company has the ability to supply 200 tons of broccoli seeds a year which
allows for this company to keep up with high demands of broccoli seeds (Alibaba,
2015). After doing a quote through UPS, the cost to ship these broccoli seeds from
China to Nepal would be around 481.64 Chinese Yuan, which equals out to be $100.64
Canadian Dollars. Comparing this shipping cost to the estimated cost from Canada to
Nepal from UPS, this competition is fairly high. Nepal is a very poor country that will be
looking for the most cost effective way to import a product such as broccoli seeds. With
this country being very high in unemployment, being able to save $53 on shipping
makes a very large difference (Prices estimated from UPS). Other types of broccoli
seeds or in the same family that are more hardy would be competition for the broccoli
seeds as well.
Could broccoli seeds work in Nepal?

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

When considering the temperatures in Nepal, broccoli would be ideal. When you
consider other factors that help to maintain a healthy broccoli, this vegetable will
probably not flourish in Nepal. Broccoli requires well-drained soil, high organic matter
and needs consistent moisture and protection from pests. Figure 10 represents the
different soil typed in Nepal. There are not many types of soil that have high organic
matter, and the rain levels in Nepal are not ideal for broccoli seeds. There would be
competition between broccoli and other products grown in Nepal. Due to broccoli
needing constant moisture and high organic matter it may not be suitable in Nepal. In
order to help these seeds to grow to the best they can be, Mumms sprouting seeds
suggest that a sprouting tray be used. The easy sprouting tray shown in Figure 11 cost
$15.95 and would be an additional cost for the Nepalese people. Another additional cost
would be a product to store the seeds in. Lois Thompson from Mumms Sprouting
Seeds recommends zip lock bags or yogurt containers. Again this is an additional cost
for the Nepalese people (Mumms Sprouting Seeds, 2015).
Summary
Broccoli seeds would provide a vitamin rich vegetable for Nepal. With the lack of
nutrients provided to the people of Nepal and many people being undernourished,
having a vegetable that allows for benefits to ones health would be beneficial to the
people of Nepal. There are many pros and cons to this product though. With the lack of
water and rainfall in Nepal, soil with lower organic matter, competition for the most
viable land, pests, the cost to import the product and not adequate storage are many of
the cons associated with broccoli seeds. Cons would be providing employment
opportunities for both Nepal and Canada, providing another source of food for the

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

malnourished will lower the poverty levels in Nepal, provide another source of income
for the people of Nepal and also providing a healthy, tasty vegetable for the people of
Nepal are many of the pros for importing broccoli to Nepal.
Appendix:

Figure 1: Nutrient guide for broccoli, per 1.00 cups of raw broccoli. Accessed by:
http://www.absolutehealing.com.au/benefits-of-broccoli/

Figure 2: Sowing Seeds. Accessed by: http://www.vegetable-gardenguide.com/images/broccoli1-pg-lge.jpg

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Figure 3: Seedlings in Propagator. Accessed by: http://www.vegetable-gardenguide.com/images/broccoli2-pg-lge.jpg

Figure 4: Continued Growth of seeds inside. Accessed by: http://www.vegetable-gardenguide.com/images/broccoli3-pg-lge.jpg

Figure 5: Broccoli seeds are then transported outside to continue the remaining growth
period. Accessed by: http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/growing-broccoli.html

Figure 6: Fully grown, healthy broccoli plant. Accessed by:

http://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/01/how_to_grow_broccoli/broccoli-in-garden-2/

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Contact Information for Lois Thompson

Email Address:

lois@nutritionadvisor.ca

Work Phone #:

306-747-2935

Home Phone #:

306-747-3371

Website:

http://sprouting.com

Table 1: The above information is the contact information of Lois Thompson, who was
the contact from Mumms Sprouting Seeds.

Figure 8: This figure demonstrates the difference in the size of bags from a 1kg bag
sitting on top and the 5kg white bag. This figure was emailed to me from Lois
Thompson, from Mumms Sprouting Seeds.
Mumms Seed Costs for Broccoli
100g bag
$8.97
200g bag
$16.97
1kg bag
$35.49
5kg bag
$162.97
Table 2: The above table represents the costs for a variety of sized bags of broccoli
seeds. Accessed by: http://sprouting.com/product/65/Broccoli.html
Comparison of Seed Prices
100g bag
200g bag
1kg bag
5kg bag
Mumms
$8.97
$16.97
$35.49
$162.97

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(Organic)
West Coast
$9.99
$18.49
$106.99
n/a
Seeds (BCOrganic)
Mountain
$6.00 (for
$10.25 (for 227g)
$36 (for
n/a
Rose Herbs
113g)
approximately 1kg)
(Oregon
Table 3:The table above demonstrates two Canadian company seed prices (including
Mumms) and one company outside of Canada, in Eugene, Oregon. Information
accessed by: https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/sproutingseeds/broccoli-organic/
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/sprouting-seeds

Figure 9: This figure/table represents the imports and exports between Canada and
Nepal from 2009-2013. Accessed by: http://www.nepalesecanadian.com/posts/item/112nepal-canada-export-import-entrepreneurs-should-know

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

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Canada-Nepal Exports and Imports from 2009-2013

Canada's Imports from Nepal

Canada's Exports from Nepal

Chart 1: This chart represents the data from figure 9 of import and exports from Nepal to
Canada from 2009-2013. Information accessed by:
http://www.nepalesecanadian.com/posts/item/112-nepal-canada-export-importentrepreneurs-should-know

Canada Post
Type of Transport

Price for 1kg

Price for 5kg

Small Packet-International Surface

$18.78

n/a

Small Packet-International Air

$41.94

n/a

International Parcel-Surface

$49.20

$105.40

International Parcel-Air

$74.40

$187.86

Priority Worldwide Pak

$172.95

$408.53

Table 4: This table represents the most cost effective company for shipping broccoli
seeds from the Mumms warehouse that is in Parkside, Saskatchewan, directly to
Kathmandu in Nepal. Quote calculated from:
https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/home.page

Costs of Shipping
Canada Post

$18.78-$172.95

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

UPS

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$153.80-$164.03

Purolator
$195.11
Table 5: This table represents the three different companies suggested by Mumms
Sprouting Seeds for shipping. Accessed from Canada Post, UPS and Purolator.

Figure 10: The different soil types in Nepal.

Figure 11: Easy Sprout Sprouter, sold from Mumms Sprouting Seeds. Accessed from:
http://sprouting.com/product/156/Easy-Sprout-Sprouter.html
References
Broccoli: Health Benefits, Nutritional Information (2015). In Medical News Today.
Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266765.php

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Albert, S. (2015, January 2). Harvest to Table. In How to Grow Broccoli. Retrieved from
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/01/how_to_grow_broccoli/
Growing Guide: Broccoli (2006). In Cornell University. Retrieved from
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene91d8.html#profile
Smith, E. (2015). What you need to know about Nepal . In CNN. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/25/world/nepal-facts/
Nepal-Agriculture (2015). In Nations Encyclopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/NepalAGRICULTURE.html
The best time to come to Nepal (2012). In Visit Nepal. Retrieved from
http://www.visitnepal.com/travelers_guide/when_to_come.php

Nepal Canada Export Import - Entrepreneurs Should Know (2015, January). In Nepalese
Canadian Network . Retrieved from http://www.nepalesecanadian.com/posts/item/112nepal-canada-export-import-entrepreneurs-should-know
Gan lan zhong zi broccoli seeds for planting and sale (2015). In Alibaba. Retrieved from
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Gan-lan-zhong-zi-broccoliseeds_60305620052.html?spm=a2700.7724838.30.98.L3KEZA

Figures, Tables and Charts

CANADIAN EXPORT PROJECT: BROCCOLI SEEDS

http://www.absolutehealing.com.au/benefits-of-broccoli/
http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/images/broccoli1-pg-lge.jpg
http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/images/broccoli2-pg-lge.jpg
http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/images/broccoli3-pg-lge.jpg
http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/growing-broccoli.html
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/01/how_to_grow_broccoli/broccoli-in-garden-2/
http://sprouting.com/product/65/Broccoli.html
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/sprouting-seeds/broccoliorganic/
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/sprouting-seeds
http://www.nepalesecanadian.com/posts/item/112-nepal-canada-export-importentrepreneurs-should-know
http://www.nepalesecanadian.com/posts/item/112-nepal-canada-export-importentrepreneurs-should-know
https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/home.page

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