By Rod Nickel and Farah Master

WINNIPEG, Manitoba/HONG KONG, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The pandemic's crushing effect on global travel has grounded Canadian exports of ginseng, a root commonly utilized in Asia to treat whatever from the acute rhinitis to Impotency Cure, at a time when health is top of consumers' minds.

Canada is the world's second-largest ginseng exporter after China, with most of its exports shipped to Hong Kong on their way to mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan.
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The pandemic has ravaged the specific niche trade, however, in another example of the virus's disturbance to the worldwide food and agriculture supply chain. Outbreaks have actually likewise stopped fruit shipments, closed down meat plants and sickened migrant farm workers.

Farmers in the United States, the fourth-largest exporter, are suffering too.

A ginseng crop can use up to five years to grow. But even as he begins this year's harvest, Remi Van De Slyke in Norfolk County, Ontario, has a barn loaded with last year's ginseng.
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The problem is that travel restrictions have actually stopped Chinese buyers from visiting to examine the crop, which has actually depressed sales.

Canada's diplomatic strains with Beijing have not assisted, said Van De Slyke, chairman of Ontario Ginseng Growers Association.

"Everyone is locked down and that's triggering us a big issue," he stated. "We're struck in all instructions here."

Across Canada, as much as 1.8 million pounds, or 20% of last year's crop, remains unsold, said Rebecca Coates, executive director of the Ontario growers association.

Canada shipped 354,305 kg worth C$ 11 million ($8.22 million)to Hong Kong from May through July this year as coronavirus infections peaked in Canada, one-third of the value from the very same duration a year previously.

Lately, some purchasers have actually been "circling like sharks" to see if they can acquire Cure for ED less than the production expense, Coates stated.

HEALTH AWARENESS RISING

Demand in China looks strong.

A trader who is a long-time Canadian ginseng importer based in Xiamen city, Fujian province, says health is an even greater concern after the pandemic.

"After COVID-19, individuals's awareness for health care may increase more than before (and) we may increase our imports also," the trader stated.
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Sales of Chinese-grown ginseng have spiked just recently as a substitute Cure for Erectile Dysfunction costlier imports, said a salesperson at a Chinese medication store in Baotou, Inner Mongolia.

Wholesale importers have actually been known to purchase as much as 100,000 pounds of ginseng separately at Ontario-based Great Mountain Ginseng, which was forced to shut its retail stores, consisting of one at Niagara Falls, during spring lockdowns.

The shops have reopened, however the buyers and tourists have not come back, said general supervisor Schelling Yeh.

"We have actually been struck hard," Yeh stated. "If you're unable to see the product are you happy to purchase it?"

Canada's agriculture ministry is trying to help the ginseng sector diversify to other markets, spokesperson James Watson said.

Across the border, a lot of U.S. ginseng is grown in Wisconsin. President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election on Nov. 3, kept in mind farmers' pain as he announced a new round of pandemic aid in the battlefield state.

But Trump's disputes with Chinese leadership over trade concerns have done more to discourage U.S. sales to China than the coronavirus crisis, stated Wisconsin farmer Mike Burmeister.

"Chinese trade is so essential to my market. The world actually is a small location when it concerns ginseng." ($1 = 1.3389 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Farah Master in Hong Kong; extra reporting by Shivani Singh in Beijing and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)