Riyadh – Saudi Agro-Food, a trade fair for the food and agriculture sectors held from Sunday to Wednesday (4th) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was regarded as positive by the majority of participating Brazilian companies. To them, it was an opportunity to start direct relations with local businessmen.
"The majority of the companies were satisfied with the market," said the foreign trade analyst of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Luiz Cláudio Caruso. The Brazilian stand was organized by company Conceito Brazil, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce .
The main focus of the fair, however, was not what the Brazilian exhibitors initially thought. "The fair is more geared towards agricultural inputs," said Caruso.
"We had no previous knowledge of the fair, so we imagined that it was more food-oriented, but in fact it revolves around agricultural production," added the secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Michel Alaby. It was the first time that the organization and the Brazilian government attended the event.
Nevertheless, many of the companies made contacts that were considered promising. "The Saudi market certainly remains a target of ours," declared Caruso. According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture intends to take part in events in the country once again in 2010, but it should evaluate what is the best model of event first. Saudi Agro-Food itself may provide a launch pad for Brazilian exporters of agricultural inputs.
Despite being more production-oriented, the fair brought together exhibitors of ready-to-eat foods and received importers interested in those items. "I get the feeling that the participation was positive, because the companies got to know the market and the system of distribution to the retail sector," stated Alaby.
Aside from attending the exhibition, the Brazilians visited large supermarket chains. "We realized that in order to negotiate with the Saudis, you must come to the country, rather than try and sell during their visits to other countries," added the secretary general. To him, it was a good start.
Contacts
As a matter of fact, nearly all of the businessmen made some contact that they believe might lead to business. Such is the case of Germterra, a company that produces seeds for pasture. "The seeds are improved by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) so as to become better adapted to tropical weather. I have distributed lots of samples, and I believe that it might be interesting for them to sow them and see what happens. If they sprout, then I am certain that the market will be mine," said the export representative with the company, Osnin Paiva.
Paiva also represented another enterprise in the same group, wood company Madeireira Tauari, which sells eucalyptus wood. "We sensed a certain interest," he declared.
Along the same lines, Rafael Alves Lavanhini, of the export department at Dori Alimentos, a sweets manufacturer, claimed to have made some contacts that might result in business deals. "The focus of the fair is different from that of our clients, but I had a few visits that might yield results," he said.
The company does not export to Saudi Arabia yet, but it already sustains business deals in other Arab countries, and is seeking an importer and a distributor. "We are going to follow up our contacts," said Lavanhini.
In turn, Bruno Borelli, of trading company Emit, which sells biscuits and sweets, attended a fair in the Middle East for the first time. According to him, out of the 21 contacts that he made, only three can be considered “more serious." "But I enjoyed the trip because I got to know the market and sensed what it is like," he said.
Borelli stated that the two companies that he represents, Marilan and Montevergine, are very interested in the Middle East.
Strategy
Alaby added that in 2010, the strategy for food promotion in Saudi Arabia should be reassessed, manufacturers of agricultural inputs should be brought to Saudi Agro-Food, and business roundtables and meetings with large importers should be promoted, so as to "enable effective negotiation in the food industry."
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
