On July 14 – 21, 2018, around 50 Russian dairy farmers and producers, owners and top-managers of dairy factories, governmental officials, potential investors in the dairy industry and representatives of mass media will conduct the Dairy Motor Rally Canada across Ontario and Quebec to learn more about Canadian dairy production and business.

The Russian Dairy Motor Rally, titled in Russia Way to milk!, is an annual event organized by the Russian online dairy media source The Dairy News. Since 2010, it has been held in Russia where a total of 910 participants have visited 35 dairy farms and 23 dairy factories in 22 out of 89 Russian regions, travelling over 10,200 kilometres. According to the organizers, they were invited to Canada by Canadian farmers who had participated in the Rally in Russia in 2017. This event has a chance to lay the foundation for a fruitful cooperation between Canadian and Russian dairy businesses. Canada can potentially increase its presence in the Russian agricultural sector, introducing new products and technologies for the market, while Russia can adopt Canadian industry experience and learn different business models.

“The [Canadian] company Agri-Plastics decided to seriously declare itself in the Russian market and chose the Motor Rally organized by The Dairy News as a significant event for the presentation of the company and hutches for calves to our [Russian] farmers and producers.”

In Canada, the Dairy Rally will cover 1,200 kilometres and, based on their schedule, will go through farms – Farm Blondin (Saint-Placide, QC), Shouten Dairy Farms (Richmond, ON), Gillette Farm (Embrun, ON), Crowley Family Farm (Hastings, ON), Grasshill Goat Farm (Bobcaygeon, ON), Kawartha Holsteins (Lindsay, ON), Benrise Farm (Bowmanville, ON), Benrise Farm (Bowmanville, ON), Armstrong Manor Farm (Caledon, ON), Grand Valley Fortifiers (Cambridge, ON); factories – St-Albert Cheese Factory (St-Albert, ON), Kawartha Dairy Ltd (Lindsay, ON), Mariposa Dairy Ltd (Lindsay, ON); dealers – Green Tractors (Omemee, ON), Evergreen Farm & Garden (Orono, ON); as well as other industry facilities – Alltech (Guelph, ON), Algoma Orchards (Newcastle, ON), Jaylor (Orton, ON), etc. Russian participants will also be lectured on various aspects of the Canadian dairy industry and will be able to attend presentations of several companies working in the agricultural and food industries.

“Kawartha Lakes is proud to host the dairy businesses visiting from Russia. We look forward to opportunities for the development of export sales of dairy genetics, equipment, and technology, as well as sharing dairy management expertise, and our sense of community and family business culture,” says Andy Letham, Mayor of Kawartha Lakes City.