Juiz de Fora – Brazilian dairy products can be an alternative to dairy products imported from Europe by the Middle Eastern countries, assesses Ismeer Shalaldeh, production manager at Barakat International group, an importer and distributor of food from the Emirates. He is participating in the Minas Láctea fair, which is taking place in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, this week.
"Brazilian dairy products are not well known in the Middle East. We are used to beef and chicken, but now we are looking for these products to compete with the dairy products the Arab countries buy from Europe," explained Shalaldeh.
The executive is at the event to learn about the dairy sector in Brazil and to talk to local producers in an action developed by the Dairy Export Sector Project (PS-Lácteos), conducted jointly by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) and the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB) with support of the Ministry of Agrarian Development.
He says it is important for Brazil, as the world’s fourth main producer of milk, to gain prominence among the Arab nations for its dairy products. "We want to see your products there. We trust Brazilian products. We know that before exporting any product, the Brazilian government imposes strict rules to allow sales abroad. We are confident that the products are very hygienic and safe for our consumption," he noted.
Shalaldeh says his company is a traditional buyer of vegetables, beef and chicken, and that it is starting to import and distribute dairy alongside the lines it already works in. He said that the Brazilian dairy products that should have most space in the Arab world are cheese, condensed milk, powdered milk, yogurt and frozen yoghurt.
Currently, the company imports dairy products from countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and France. "We also import some from India and China, though their quality cannot compete with the Brazilian product," he said.
*The journalist travelled at the invitation of PS-Lácteos. Translated by Mark Ament
