Cairo – Upper Egypt for Concentrates – UEFCON, a manufacturer of tomato and fruit concentrates under the Giardino brand, is evaluating opportunities to export to Brazil. The company has been collecting information about the market and consumers, especially after many competitors successfully sold to the South American country. The company produces tomato and fruit concentrates and a variety of sauces, as well as ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard.
Jamal Arif (pictured above), Board chair of UEFCON, stated climate change could create export opportunities to many markets, including Brazil. “There are many countries where recent climate change has led to a decline in production rates, around 50%. For example, if a Latin American country depended on importing essential products from those countries whose production was affected, now we can replace them, particularly as climate change has not yet affected Egyptian crops,” he said.
Arif told ANBA Giardino is in talks with agents in the United States and has a series of new markets in mind. According to the executive, the company is currently working to comply with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and thus start exporting to the United States and Latin American countries. “Negotiations are ongoing with representatives in Venezuela and Brazil, with whom we got in touch during the last edition of the SIAL show in Paris.”
Fifteen African countries top the list of target markets due to the company’s success in exporting to eight African nations in 2022. The executive explained the company is also about to introduce its products in Saudi Arabia, working on completing the procedures required by the authorities. According to Arif, Saudi Arabia is one of the up-and-coming markets for Giardino products. The company entered new markets last year, such as Sudan, Libya, and some Central and Eastern European countries, such as Poland and Romania. It intends to enter France, England, Germany, and the Netherlands this year.
He informed his company exports 35% of production and intended to expand to 60% in three years. Giardino started exporting its products first to nearby countries, such as Jordan and Palestine. Later, it launched its foodstuffs in African markets, then worked to adapt its plant to European standards to export to that market, and has already been successful in entering Poland and Romania.
Arab Food Hub
Arab institutions recently launched the Arab Food Hub, a groundbreaking digital platform to connect different players of this chain, including exporters, importers, and support service providers. Arif believes this initiative will significantly and positively impact all Arab companies, especially if specifications are standardized for different products.
The executive explained exporting companies currently struggle with different specifications, which vary from country to country, representing an additional burden on production costs. He mentioned the example of some countries that require the expiration date of any product not to exceed one year, while other nations need two years.
“I believe the terms of the agreement for establishing the Arab Food Hub will guarantee the challenges faced in trade between the Arab countries will be overcome, so this is an important step, and everyone is optimistic about it,” he said.
Translated by Georgette Merkhan & Elúsio Brasileiro
