São Paulo – Brazilian companies are more and more aware of the potential of business at Gulfood, a food industry fair that takes place in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The edition this year should be from February 23rd to 26th. Yesterday (21), representatives of 10 of the 12 companies to exhibit at the stand organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture, participated in a preparatory meeting at the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, in São Paulo.
In sectors like milk, chocolate drinks, biscuits, honey and coffee, the companies are betting on sales to the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Company Novo Mel, from São Paulo, which already exports honey and propolis to Angola, Mexico, China and Japan, is participating in the fair for the first time. "We have been working this market for a year and a half and already had Gulfood in the target. We decided to anticipate participation, previously planned for 2010, as we believe that, at a moment in which the world is living a crisis, we must work more and seek opportunities in markets like the Arab," pointed out businessman Carlos Pamplona Rehder.
Savon, a company in CBA group that produces food packages, is going to participate in Gulfood for the second time running. This year, the great objective is to find a local distributor. "The last edition was good, we made many contacts. We are even negotiating with two businessmen from Saudi Arabia who visited our stand in 2008. We should close a deal with an importer who plans to place our Paladar and Palate brands on the market in the region," explained export manager Giselle Bissoli.
According to Bissoli, the export department at the company was created in 2007 and, despite its short life in the business, food packages by Savon are already exported to Canada, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Japan, Angola, Senegal and Madagascar. "On the domestic market we have already arrived in all states. To grow we had to seek new markets."
Another company that is going to participate in Gulfood for the second time is Serlac, a trading company in Itambé group. "We want to promote our products better and to expand the number of importers, as we have doubled our production in 2008," stated Janaína Azevedo, the company trader for the market of the Middle East.
The company produces 11,000 tonnes of powdered milk, 4,000 tonnes of evaporated milk and 10,000 tonnes of condensed milk per month. Nowadays the Arab countries answer to 10% of the 8,000 tonnes exported a month. "The target is to reach 18% in 2009," said Janaína.
Window
The director of the Foreign Trade Promotion Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Eduardo Sampaio Marques, pointed out that investment and the effort made by all those participating should be compensated. "Last year the fair was impressive, mainly for sectors like dairy and non-alcoholic beverages. This year the movement should be a little smaller, although we are very optimistic. Despite all the change that has taken place in the world, the fair should continue receiving great numbers of visitors and generating good business," said Marques.
"The entire region is going to grow above the global average and food is the last item to be cut. We plan to promote at least one more activity there in 2009, probably in some other sector and again in partnership with the Arab Brazilian Chamber," added the director.
Brazilian presence
Apart from the stand organized by the Chamber and the Ministry, Brazil should be represented by other stands by large exporters like Sadia and Perdigão (both in the food sector), and by organisations like the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef), the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec), the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf) and also the stand of Flavours of Brazil, organized by the Apex-Brasil in partnership with the Chamber.
"The agreement between the organisations is to maintain visual communication between the stands to promote the Brazil brand as a supplier of foods," stated the Marketing Manager at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Andréa Monteiro.
The fair
Gulfood is turned to the food and beverage sector chain, from equipment for the industry to food ready for consumption. During the fair there should also be events in the sidelines, like Ingredients Middle East, for suppliers of raw materials for the industry, Restaurant & Café Middle East, for suppliers in the restaurant sector, and Emirates International Salon Culinaire, a competition between chefs.
Further information
Site: www.gulfood.com
*Translated by Mark Ament
