Powerhouse Partners

All About The Ontario Food Terminal

The OFT currently has 5,000 registered buyers, 21 warehouse tenants, 400 farmers’ market tenants, and 50 office tenants.  In 2012 the market moved 5.4 million pounds of produce a day or 984,000 tons for the year.  Depending on the season, 25 to 40 percent of volume is local produce; 65 to 75 percent is imported.

Perhaps the Ontario Food Terminal Board website describes this amazing venue best: “The Ontario Food Terminal is like the stock exchange of fruits and vegetables.  Here, capitalism is at its purest: prices fluctuate based on the laws of supply and demand for the various fruits and vegetables.”

Between transport fees and stiff competition, many wholesalers at the OFT are feeling the pinch and working hard to bring in more business.  The OFT has been the gateway of Toronto produce since it was built in 1954. The largest facility of its kind in Canada, the OFT houses 22 warehouses and 550 stalls on its 40-acre horseshoe-shaped complex.

A recent renovation project to the tune of $5 million is aimed at making things a bit easier for merchants during Ontario’s often challenging seasonal weather.  Loading docks are being enclosed to ward off extreme cold, searing heat, and storms, but the transformation will also provide better natural light (part of the enclosure will consist of tempered glass) and help maintain the cold chain to improve food safety.  Most tenants are excited about the renovations, though there will be headaches since the market will continue to be open during construction.  

Despite competition, the OFT remains a solid market for growers and exporters based on or off the trading floor. “The OFT has been a strong market for us,” said Gerardo Lopez, Jr., COO at Growers Union, LLC, an importer and distributor of Mexican blackberries, blueberries, and limes based out of New York City.  “In fact, we’re finding that selling to the OFT brings better prices than selling to most U.S. markets.”

“We are importers and we sell garlic, ginger, shallots, Asian fruits and vegetables, and a new line of exotics to chains, foodservice, and wholesalers on the Toronto Terminal,” said John Della Santina, general manager at CDS Foods, Inc., based in Montreal, Quebec. “Our Toronto sales have been going up year-over-year. With the wholesalers we deal with, I don’t see any weakness. Competitive for sure; but they seem to be doing well.” 

Reaching Out

The OFT has also been raising its profile in the community by partnering with the Ontario Produce Marketing Association, Toronto Wholesale Produce Association, and FoodShare Toronto to host events at the market (other than occasional tours for growers, students, or health organizations). 

“Fresh Fest”—the terminal’s first open-to-the-public event in its 59 years of existence—was held in September 2012.  The occasion was meant to raise awareness about the terminal’s role in supplying fresh produce to retailers and restaurants throughout the province and beyond, as well as to raise money for FoodShare’s healthy food-based initiatives.  FoodShare is a longtime customer of the OFT, having shopped there since 1992.  The nonprofit organization, which operates salad bars in Toronto schools, spends around $1 million annually at the terminal.