With a constantly growing population, a sustained increase in the demand for food products and an expanding market that promises opportunities for agricultural and agro-industrial sectors, Africa is set to become a key source and destination for global fruit and vegetable trade.
This is the opinion of the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers-Exporters of the Region of Murcia (Proexport), which has gone on a technical and commercial prospecting mission and, for the second year running, has attended the Food Africa fair, which has been held from December 3 to 5 in Cairo, Egypt.
"Egypt is the most populated of the Arab countries, with more than 106 million inhabitants. Its agricultural GDP amounts to around 11% and although it competes with Spain and other European producers with certain fruit and vegetables, it also offers opportunities, and we must explore them", says the director of Proexport, Fernando Gómez. Agriculture is certainly a strategic sector in Egypt. It accounts for 25% of the workforce and for a significant share of non-oil exports. The country, which is not self-sufficient in food and is one of the world's leading grain importers, also faces significant macroeconomic imbalances and regional instability.
Proexport has organized a trade prospecting mission in collaboration with the Agricultural Export Council of Egypt, the Instituto de Fomento de la Región de Murcia (INFO) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Several associated companies have visited fruit and vegetable farms in the Nile Delta, and María José Sánchez, director of Fruit Attraction, has also accompanied them on these visits. They have also been seeking business contacts with importers from the African and Middle Eastern markets.
"Our companies believe that contact with Egyptian producers and institutions should be mutually beneficial, helping them better assess their competitive capacity and their plans for the future, explore their needs and exchange information about common problems and challenges that we'll need to face in order to feed the world in the coming decades," says Fernando Gómez.
Proexport is also taking part with a stand at the Food Africa fair together with the companies Hortiberia, Cricket, Caprichos del Paladar and Hortofrutícola Tres Puentes. This is one of the most important sectoral events on the African continent, attended by representatives of the main commercial chains, as well as producers, distributors and other relevant players in the food sector. "The fair opens the door to trade in Egypt, Africa and the Middle East for our producers in southeast Spain. It is undoubtedly very difficult to find a way in, but we believe there is room in certain consumer segments for the kind of quality and service that we offer." The association's stand has been subsidized by the Autonomous Government of the Region of Murcia, through the Regional Council of Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
For more information:
Proexport
www.proexport.es