São Paulo – The participation of four Brazilian rice producers in Foodex Saudi, the food products trade expo that took place this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, generated near USD 8.3 million in future deals for the next twelve months. The forecast is from the Brazilian Rice project, a partnership between the Brazilian Rice Industry Association (Abiarroz) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) to promote the Brazilian product in the international market.
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Arrozeira Pelotas, Camil Alimentos, Josapar and Nelson Wendt were the companies that exhibited their products in the Brazilian stand, marking the first time that they attended the Saudi expo. This year, Foodex Saudi gathered 214 exhibitors from 32 countries, representing 520 brands. From November 12 to 15, buyers from Saudi Arabia and from other Middle East markets were able to get to know and taste the Brazilian rice, since the organizers of the stand were offering a product tasting to the guests.
Lucas Silva, exports executive at Arrozeira Pelotas, considered it an excellent event, well-organized and with very good opportunities for the Brazilian cereal. “The participation in the fair was very important for the Arab audience to know more of the Brazilian products. From now on, the Brazilian rice will gain more market share in Saudi Arabia and we will return next year already consolidated in the market,” he said in a statement.
To Wanessa Augusto, exports manager of group Camil Alimentos – present in the Arab country through some restaurants –, the Saudi market is one of the priority markets for development and expansion in the next few years. “We see the participation in Foodex as an important part of this process,” she said in a statement released by the Brazilian Rice project.
Josapar, producer of the brand Tio João, has been in the region for five years already. The participation in the event was crucial to strengthen its operations in the market, according to Luiz Eduardo Yurgel, the company’s exports director. “Saudi Arabia consumers favor quality rice, thus, we have been well received in this market,” he said in a company’s statement.
Near 10% of the volume of the rice exported by Josapar goes to the Middle East. To the Saudi market, Yurgel forecasts an increase of up to 30% in shipments.
Saudi Arabia is one of the target-markets of the partnership between Apex-Brasil and Abiarroz, which aims to export 10,000 tons of rice per year to Saudi Arabia – this year, from January to October, 7,000 tons were sent to the country, which is the largest buyer of food products in the Middle East. According to the organization of Foodex Saudi, total imports of food products and beverages by the Arab country should reach USD 34 billion in 2020, against the current USD 21 billion.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
