Marina Sarruf*
marina.sarruf@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Over 40 Brazilian companies have enrolled to participate in food sector business roundtables with Arab importers, scheduled to take place today (25) at the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, in São Paulo. The Arab delegation is composed of seven businessmen from Algeria, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.
"We have had great demand from Brazilian companies interested in participating in the roundtables, including many that were left out as we had no more meeting timeslots," stated Arab Brazilian Chamber president Antonio Sarkis Jr. The meetings between companies have already been scheduled according to the interests of those participating.
According to him, Arab businessmen, who include industrialists and also distributors in the food sector, were selected by the Arab Brazilian Chamber and are coming at the invitation of the organization. "They are potential importers," he said.
The products of greatest interest to the businessmen were meats, eggs, biscuits and coffee, oils and canned products. The companies from Jordan, for example, Mohammad Ali Darwazeh & Partners and Ibrahim Odeh & Partners, are interested in cattle beef and chicken, frozen fish, powdered milk, animal feed, sugar, flour and beverages. Olabi Factory, from Syria, is after green coffee, grain and sugar. Sarl Chebil Import Export, from Algeria, wants beans, lentils, peas and sweets.
The company from Yemen, in turn, Alfalaq Universal Group, is after tomato paste, seasoning, chocolates, sweets, fruit juice, cheese, powdered milk, wheat, soy and ketchup, among others. Company Al Garas Food Ingredients, from Egypt, wants cocoa products, fats and oils, flavouring, citric acid, powdered milk and eggs. And the Bahraini company, Ali Essa Aldaaysi, is after meats, frozen vegetables, rice, tinned products and products for baking.
On the Brazilian side, large companies have scheduled participation, among them Friboi, Sadia, Frangosul, Seara, Bertin, Mataboi and Frigol, in the meat sector, Del Valle, Schincariol, Chá Mate Triunfo and Fruteza, in beverages, Cia Iguaçu, Café Canecão, Doce Café, in the area of coffee, Kiuti and Balas Boavistense, in the sweet sector, as well as trading companies.
The Arab businessmen are in Brazil to learn more about the local food production. Apart from business roundtables, they are also going to participate in Fispal Food Service, on June 26th and 27th. The fair starts at the Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo today and ends on June 28th. On the 27th, the delegation will also be met by the organizers of ABF Franchising Expo, a fair in the franchising sector that is promoted by the Brazilian Franchising Association (ABF) and Messe Frankfurt.
The business roundtables begin today at 10:00 am and end at 04:00 pm at the Arab Chamber Space. Before the event, Sarkis will greet the Arab businessmen.
*Translated by Mark Ament
