A Gauteng biscuit company is looking forward to potential export opportunities at the upcoming World Food Moscow 2017 Mockba in Russia next week.
Managing Director of Continental Biscuits, Luis Murillo, said his company is looking to enter the Russian market at the weeklong exhibition.
“We have great expectations from the Russian market as they are well-established and we are ready to offer them something unique and proudly South African. Showcasing at World Food Moscow International Food Exhibition will serve as an indicator on how receptive the market will be to our products,” said Murillo on Wednesday.
This, as the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) will lead a group of 20 companies from the agro-processing industry to the exhibition that is scheduled to take place from 11 to 15 September.
The participation of South African companies in the popular exhibition has been made possible by the dti, through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme, with the aim of increasing exports of South African manufactured products to Russia.
The objective of the scheme is to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country.
Continental Biscuits, which currently employs 300 people, has a wide range of products ranging from sweet and savoury biscuits, wafers and chocolate enrobed products.
The company has previously showcased at the Allgemeine Nahrungs- und Genussmittel-Ausstellung (Anuga) Food Fair in, Germany.
The dti said South Africa’s participation in the exhibition is to promote the country’s agro-processing industry in order to consolidate and establish market presence of South Africa in Russia.
The exhibition is an annual event held in Moscow and it is an ideal platform for South Africa to showcase the country’s products to a significant number of wholesalers, distributors, retailers and restaurateurs.
Total trade between South Africa and Russia increased from R5 billion in 2012 to almost R8 billion in 2016. Major South African exports include fruits and nuts, manganese ores, beverages, spirits and vinegar, wine, electrical machinery and equipment. – SAnews.gov.za
