São Paulo – The first day of Saudi Agro Food, a trade fair for the food industry that began this Sunday (1st) in Riyadh, Saudi Arábia, has pleased the participating Brazilian businessmen. According to the secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, who is at the fair, the opening day had good attendance, and the businessmen who travelled from Brazil to Riyadh have already started making business contacts.
The Brazilian participation is organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture. The exhibition started in the afternoon and the Saudi minister of Agriculture, Fahed Bem Gunaim, visited the Brazilian stand. He spoke to the Brazilian ambassador to Riyadh, Sérgio Luiz Canaes, and asked questions about the country’s participation. In the pavilion, 16 Brazilian enterprises are represented, ranging from trading companies in the coffee, rice and sugar industries to manufacturers of dairy products, food supplements, sweets, seeds, grain and beef.
Aside from the companies, also present are the Brazilian Cocoa and Confectionery Manufacturers Association (Abicab) and the Brazilian Slaughterhouse Association (Abrafrigo). This is the first time that the Arab Brazilian Chamber organizes a Brazilian stint at Saudi Agro Food, says Michel Alaby. The Ministry of Agriculture sent to the fair the secretary of Agricultural Policy, Edilson Guimarães, and the director of the International Agribusiness Promotion Department, Eduardo Sampaio.
The fair covers an area of 7,200 square metres, occupied by 288 exhibitors from 32 different countries. The main participating nations include China, Germany, France, India, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Brazil. The objective of the fair is to bring food suppliers to Saudi Arabia, which, due to unfavourable conditions for farming, is a large food importer. In 2008, the country imported US$ 15 billion in foodstuffs, representing growth of 25% in comparison with 2007.
The Brazilian delegation was welcomed this Sunday for luncheon at the Brazilian embassy in Riyadh. On Monday (2nd), the Ministry of Agriculture should promote a seminar to showcase to the Saudis the existing investment opportunities in Brazilian agribusiness and food production.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
