São Paulo – Brazilian companies which took part in a mission to Egypt from November 15th to 20th are expected to close deals with exporters of foods, herbs, medicinal and aromatic plants still this year. The arrangements include both export and import contracts. The six companies visited the Fresh Gate & Food Gate fair, engaged in business matchmaking rounds, and visited Spice Kingdom, one of the leading spice and aromatic plant exporters in the country.
The import analyst with company Agrofood, Sandra Braz, has met a supplier of fennel, which the company now buys from India. “The pricing of the Indians is still unbeatable, but all potential suppliers are willing to improve their prices, they are open to negotiating, and asked me to not sign any contract without talking to them first. All companies showed themselves to be ready and able to do business with us,” she said.
Braz also met potential customers in Cairo, but just as the Egyptians are competing with India’s prices, the Brazilians are challenged by the conditions offered by Vietnamese farmers. “The prices of Vietnamese pepper are great, but the Brazilian product boasts higher quality. The businessmen I spoke to were willing to negotiate,” she said. Aside from pepper, the Egyptians were also intent on buying beans from Agrofood.
The chairman of FR Castro, Silvana Roveri, said the contacts she made in Egypt are “excellent” and that she will strike deals with four of the 16 exporters she met with during the rounds. FR Castro will also export sugar to Spice Kingdom.
But Roveri has further plans. “I am meeting with Sudanese businessmen, and I am participating in the Khartoum Fair in January. I want to open a unit there. I already export sugar to the United Arab Emirates, but I did not imagine how much potential Egypt and Sudan have.” In addition to Agrofood and FR Castro, the mission comprised the companies Santos Flora, Ruell, Ricex and Temperart.
The Brazilian businessmen were accompanied by the two representatives of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The government relations executive Tamer Mansour said it is “certain” that the companies that travelled to Egypt are closing deals with the Arab businessmen. “The Brazilian businessmen have portrayed Brazil as a great target for Egyptian products,” he said.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber commercial manager Janaina Calonga said the trip has shown the Brazilians that there are plenty of opportunities for business with the Arab countries. “This mission was very productive in introducing the potential of the Egyptian market to companies that were unaware of it. The Arab Brazilian Chamber will aid them wherever needed for the deals to come through,” said Calonga. The businessmen on the mission also met with the Brazilian ambassador to Cairo, Marco Antonio Diniz Brandão.
The Brazilians’ trip to Sharm El Sheik, where the fair took place, and to Cairo, where the matchmaking rounds were held, was promoted by the Egyptian Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Emap) project, established in 2011 to promote the herb, spice and medicinal plant industry overseas up until 2014.
A group of Emap representatives came to Brazil in September to see the market and look for importers. On that occasion, they took part in negotiations at the Arab Brazilian Chamber. Mansour said a mission of the Egyptian Food Export Council should come to Brazil in April 2013.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
