São Paulo – Serlac, the trading arm of dairy company Itambé, has just conquered approximately 20 new clients in the Middle Eastern and North African countries. The company, which already sells to the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan, closed new deals during and after its participation in two trade fairs: the Khartoum International Fair, in Sudan, and Gulfood, in Dubai, in the Emirates.
Presently, the Arab countries purchase 10% of the 8,000 tonnes exported by the company each month and are expected to reach 18% still this year. “We attended the fair in Sudan for the first time and it was a very positive experience. We managed to gather up clients that we already work for, as well as prospect new ones. In Dubai, in addition to meeting with our old clients once again, we made many new contacts with importers from the emirate and the other Middle Eastern countries,” said André Campos, commercial manager at Serlac.
According to Campos, some deals were signed on the spot, whereas others were closed after returning to Brazil. Some contracts are still under negotiation and should be signed over the next few days. “We are negotiating with supermarket chains, distributors and factories,” stated the manager.
According to him, in this edition of Gulfood, the products that attracted the interest of Arab importers the most were condensed milk, evaporated milk and powdered milk. “Many of these new clients are going to try the product first and then place new orders, but the deals tend to have continuity,” he added.
Currently, the largest markets for the company are Africa and Latin America. However, Serlac is investing heavily in the Arab market. “The North African countries are large consumers of powdered milk and dairy products. Africa as a whole is the market that consumes our products the most. In terms of exported volume to the private sector, it is the most representative market," he asserted.
Serlac was established seven years ago and employs 20 people in its export department. The Itambé factory has a monthly output of 11,000 tonnes of powdered milk, 4,000 tonnes of evaporated milk, and 10,000 tonnes of condensed milk. The group, which works with over 8,000 dairy farmers, is the leading exporter of products for daily consumption in Brazil, and the second largest player in the domestic market.
The Arab market
Last year, Brazilian exports of milk and dairy products to the Arab countries totalled to US$ 53.13 million, representing a near 40% reduction in comparison with 2007. The leading destinations were Algeria, Sudan, Tunisia, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia.
Contact
Serlac
Telephone: (+55 11) 3897-7352
Website: www.serlac.com.br
E-mail: andre.campos@serlac.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
