Australian food producers are looking to Gulfood to widen their access to the UAE and the Gulf, which they see as an important strategic area for long-term growth that complements their major export markets in China and other Far Eastern countries.
Specialist health snack producer The Health Lab is a Melbourne-based start-up that wants to use exports to grow its business. “We came to Gulfood last year and spent a large part of the intervening time getting the products registered,” says Jess Thomas, founder of the protein ball manufacturer. “We found that we were treated as a pharmaceutical product, which gave us some more hurdles, but once everything was ready, sales in the UAE grew quite quickly. Gulfood is a large show so we also found partners who might take our woman-focused products to London and other markets.”
Bulla Dairy Foods, a cream and dairy major, has been in the Gulf for some time and wants to use Gulfood to expand its business. “The Gulf is an emerging strategic area for us. Our historic business has been with the retail chain Spinneys, but we will now expand that business model to include other outlets in the UAE and move into other countries such as Qatar and Oman, while maintaining our strong and valued relationship with Spinneys,” Tony Gunnis, International Business Manager at Bulla Dairy Foods, tells GN Focus.
The Australian state of Victoria is mounting a significant effort at this year’s Gulfood with more than 50 companies coming to the world’s largest food and beverage show, of which 32 will be on the two government stands. Victorian agri-food exports to the six Gulf states are worth A$716 million (about Dh2 billion), with a historic focus on meat, dairy and grain, although horticulture products such as almonds, stone fruits and grapes have become more important as the value of their exports has expanded five times over the past five years.
“China is our biggest export destination, but the Gulf is very respectable and important. It takes close to A$1 billion and is comparable in scale to Japan, which is our oldest market where we have had relationships going back a hundred years,” Jaala Pulford, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Victoria, tells GN Focus in an exclusive interview in Melbourne. “We have extraordinary variety in Victoria, which is only 3 per cent of Australia’s landmass and accounts for 25 per cent of its food exports. Our trade aspirations in the Gulf are much more around getting our products in front of buyers so that they see how our producers focus on the highest quality and standards.”
Gourmet cheese producer Yarra Valley Dairy found a very different route to the Gulf. More than 15 years ago the company’s founder developed a rich feta marinaded in thyme, and because of its lush style she called it Persian feta although many imitators now use the name. “Nonetheless, a senior official from the Dubai government was visiting Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival and was so interested in our exotic cheese that he asked Emirates Airline to stock the cheese and we have been on the First Class menu ever since,” says Caroline Evans, Founder of Yarra Valley Dairy. “Now we want to grow this. We currently only have a trickle going into the US and the UAE and know that we can expand on that in both markets.”
That’s Amore Cheese is a nine-year-old company that has grown fast under CEO and owner Giorgio Linguanti. “We now have 40 products and sell in 800 outlets across Australia, so we had to start exporting to keep growing. We got our export licence in 2015 and went to Singapore in 2016 for an initial visit.
“We are selling in China, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali and Korea. Our interest at Gulfood will be both retail and food service, since there is a demand for our products. We have worked to be approved, so for example, all our cheese is halal cheese as we use vegetarian rennet. All the ingredients are approved and the process is sanitary, and we have Arabic labels.”
Nations participating
Germany
The country will have 89 exhibitors, displaying 18 beverages, 65 world food items, two brands for pulses, grains and cereals, a dairy company and three power brands: CSM Bakery Solutions Deutschland, Abel+Schäfer/KOMPLET and SchapfenMuhle.
France
With 80 exhibitors, France is set to display 13 beverages, eight meat and poultry products, 36 world food items, two brands for pulses, grains and cereals, 16 dairy companies, one health and wellness company and four power brands including Bridor Exploitation, Savencia Fromage & Dairy, Sofracom SAS and U-Group/U-Food.
Canada
The nation will have 55 exhibitors, who will showcase seven meat and poultry items, 20 world food products, 18 pulses, grains and cereals labels and ten dairy companies.
India
The largest participant with the biggest pavilion of 4,120m² will have 290 exhibitors. There will be 35 beverages, 14 dairy products, 25 meat and poultry items, 97 pulses, grains and cereals, seven fats and oil brands, 99 world food items, and nine health and wellness brands. The three power brands include B.Y. Agro & Infra, Gallery Foods & Beverages and KRBL.
China
The nation with fifth-largest pavilion of 1,805m², will have 184 exhibitors, 16 beverages, five meat and poultry labels, one pulses, grains and cereal brand and 162 world food brands.
Turkey
With 139 exhibitors, Turkey will showcase 13 beverages, ten dairy companies, two meat and poultry brands, 30 pulses, grains and cereal labels, 14 fats and oil brands, 64 world food items, one health and wellness product, and five power brands: ECS General Trading, Navimarfood Gida Iml.Ve Gida Mad.Yat.Urt.Ins.Paz.San.Ve.Tcc.Sti., Ozmer Meyve Ozleri Kokteyl Soslari Sanayi Ticaret Ve Pazarlama. Sti, Palmiye Biskuvi Cikolata Kek Gida San ve Tic A.S and Rasti Lari General Trading.
