São Paulo – The tradition of horse breeding and of promoting large championships for these animals in the United Arab Emirates attracts the interest of Brazilian companies in participating in the Dubai International Horse Fair (DIHF), for the equestrian industry, to be held from the 19th to the 21st in Dubai. The National Association of Animal Food Manufacturers (AnfalPet), in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), is going to take three companies to the event.
Food company Total Alimentos, headquartered in the city of Três Corações, in the state of Minas Gerais, is attending the fair for the first time, with the aim of beginning to export to the Arab market. According to the export manager at the company, Elaine Cristina Pichiliani, the horse feed manufactured by the company is only exported to Cape Verde. “Our interest in the fair is to open up new markets,” she stated.
According to her, the Arab market shows strong potential for the feed and snacks produced by Total Alimentos, which already exports to more than 40 countries in the pet sector, for dogs and cats. “Our focus never was on exports of equestrian feed, but now that this opportunity (of the fair) has arisen, we are very much interested,” said Elaine. On the market for 34 years now, Total Alimentos employs more than 1,000 people.
Another company that will be present at the fair is Vetnil, a maker of veterinary medication and supplements that already exports to the Arab market. Sales to the United Arab Emirates began in 2006, and the goal is to increase exports to the region, especially of supplements, i.e. products used for maintaining the health of the animals.
The third company is Guabi, which counts on over 1,200 employees distributed across eight factory units in five different states. The animal feed manufactured by the group is exported to more than 20 countries. In addition to nutrition for equestrians, the company makes feed for birds, cattle, ostriches, goats, sheep, swine, rabbits, shrimp, among others.
The fair
Inaugurated in 2005, the DIHF has been showing strong growth within the equestrian industry. The fair’s exhibition space grew 250% in three years. In 2008, the event attracted 201 exhibitors from 30 different countries and received 8,124 visitors, also from 30 countries.
As the years went by, the fair launched new attractions and established itself as a platform for all professionals linked to the equestrian industry, such as distributors, veterinarians, riders, horse owners and breeders. The development is in keeping with the huge expansion of the equestrian market in the Middle East. According to figures from the site of the fair, new projects are being developed in the sector, boosted by an annual population growth rate of 5% and by local cultural tradition.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
