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According to the USDA, Indiana remains number one in the U.S. for duck production. One of Indiana’s leading duck producers that has helped the state achieve its number one ranking is looking to further grow their sales by expanding their exports overseas.
“We get our opportunities overseas to share our product with different countries and Philippines and Mexico and the Caribbean and there are a lot of other countries that are looking for western style products,” says Sean Smith, General Manager of Culver Duck, which is headquartered in Middlebury in Elkhart County, Indiana.
He says one of those countries that Culver Duck is looking to grow their export market is India.
“India is a very populous country,” says Smith. “They are a protein-deficient country overall and they are looking for opportunities to bring in products from the United States—namely duck and poultry in general—and we’re serious about trying to get involved in that and we’re going to make the investment.”
Smith says he plans to represent Culver Duck on two upcoming trade trips to India. The first will be March 18-22 with the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). Smith will return to India the week of April 22-25 as part of a separate trade mission planned by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
He says the two trips will give Culver Duck the opportunity to heavily promote the export of their duck products for India’s restaurant, hotel and resort industries.
“That’s an outlet that just kind of fits duck,” says Smith. “Duck is usually looked upon as a luxury item, so people get to treat themselves to a duck breast, a half duck, or a whole duck for their family at the table. We think it’s a great opportunity for us to expand our reach.”
Smith says the overall goal for Culver Duck to grow the market not just internationally, but across the U.S. as well.
“For us, it’s just continuing to be open to opportunities and also trying to find outlets that don’t traditionally use duck,” says Smith. “Everybody pivots towards chicken, turkey, pork, and beef. It’s our mission to find those outlets that haven’t discovered duck as a main center-of-the-plate, everyday entrée—not just what I referred to before as a luxury item. Even though it’s not a commodity, there are opportunities out there. That is what we’ve tasked our entire sales team with is find those outlets that don’t understand and educate them on why duck is the right choice.”
For more information, visit CulverDuck.com.