São Paulo – Sector trade associations of the beef, poultry and confectionary industries have good expectations about business for their members during Gulfood, the biggest fair food of the Middle East, which happens in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from February 8th to 12th.
The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) will take 14 poultry-exporting companies: Globoaves, Frango Bello, Aurora, Cocari, Copacol, Agrogen, Coasul, JBS, GTFoods, Avenorte, Jaguafrangos, Averama, Pioneiro Alimentos and Frango Granjeiro.
“We always have high expectations for Gulfood. Each and every year, the fair becomes bigger and better”, evaluates Francisco Turra, chief executive of ABPA. “The fair always provides the best opportunities for us to be there and display our products”, says Turra, pointing out that the exhibitors hold food tastings during the event.
In 2014, Brazil exported 4.1 million tons of poultry. For this year, Turra is expecting a 3 to 4% growth in production and volume of chicken exports.
The Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters (Abiec) will take 11 members to the fair: Agra, Barra Mansa, Cooperfrigu, Frialto, Frigol, JBS, Mafripar, Marfrig, Mataboi, Minerva and Xinguara. JBS is a member of both Abiec and ABPA.
Some of the beef companies that will be in the fair already are traditional exporters to the region, while others are newbies in the foreign market. “Abiec increased the number of members and some of the companies are just beginning to export”, explains Fernando Sampaio, the association’s executive director.
Even if some of the companies already established their brand in the Arab market, Sampaio points out that the fair offers the opportunity of making contact with several clients simultaneously. “It gathers everybody from the sector and it’s the most important event of the food sector in the region. In one week, you meet a lot of people and can assess the market situation”, she remarks.
To promote the Brazilian beef in the fair, Abiec traditionally throws a barbecue to potential buyers, with the goal of displaying and emphasizing the preparation method and quality of the product. “It produces a strong image appeal”, says Sampaio. This year, the association’s barbecue at Gulfood will have 270 kilos of top sirloin cap, tenderloin and rib eye cut.
Last year, Brazil exported more than 326,000 tons of beef to 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Egypt, the biggest buyer in the region, imported the equivalent to US$ 611 million, while Algeria purchased US$ 100 million. Lebanon’s stood at US$ 87 million and the United Arab Emirates bought US$ 83 million.
Sampaio reminds that Saudi Arabia still keeping the embargo on Brazilian beef, which was imposed in 2012 and is followed by Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The association is waiting for a visit from the Saudi authorities early this year and hopes that these countries will start to import soon, increasing sales to the region in 2015.
The confectionary sector will take eight companies to the fair, members of the Brazilian Association of Chocolate, Cocoa, Peanuts, Candies and Derivatives (Abicab): Aladim, Chocolates Garoto, Docile, Dori, Embaré, Harald, Peccin and Riclan.
Rodrigo Solano, Abicab’s exports manager, points out that the Middle East and United States are the two most important markets for the Brazilian confectionary segment. “The United States for its size and the Middle East for the potential and growth displayed”, he explains.
In 2014, the confectionary sector in Brazil exported 4.8 million tons to the Middle East, a rise of 8% over 2013. The revenues originated stood at US$ 9 million, 5.4% more than the previous year.
For the Abicab manager, the main advantage of being at Gulfood is the possibility of conquering new clients. “It’s the busiest fair [of the sector]. It’s the fair that we bring more contacts back”, he says.
Brazil’s stand at Gulfood is organized by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil). In all, 72 Brazilian companies will be at the event gathered in a 1,085 square meter space.
Besides the products already mentioned, exporting industries that will also be present are rice, fruit, coffee, baking, cheese bread, juices and fruit pulps, frozen pizza, morning cereals, dairy products, honey and propolis, among others.
According to data from Apex, in the 2014 event, attending Brazilian companies closed deals worth US$ 653 million and the estimative for this year is to achieve well above this figure.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
