South African companies will this morning show off their wares at the International Trade Fair for Organic Products as part of government efforts to increase South African exports.
Kicking off in Germany’s Nuremberg, the trade fair, which is popularly known as BIOFACH, will give South African companies an opportunity to showcase their products to key industry stakeholders.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said the objective of South African companies participating in the fair is to seek trade opportunities for local, organic-certified products to German and European buyers.
“Our department is working in collaboration with the Swiss Import Promotion Organisation (SIPPO) to promote exports of organic products to Germany and by extension, to the European Union market in general.
“The promotion of the organic sector and products is one of the projects identified in the early iterations of the country’s Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) because the sector represents a high-value niche sub-sector with the potential to create thousands of jobs in both the primary agriculture and agro-processing stages of the value chain,” said Davies.
The companies’ participation is also a means of obtaining new business and penetrating new markets.
Currently, South Africa imports a significant proportion of the organic food demanded by consumers, and the fair represents both an import replacement and export possibilities for the sub-sector.
“The market for organic products is showing strong growth, particularly in the European Union. South Africa needs to maximise its potential and take advantage of the export opportunities that are presented by this growth,” Davies said.
Through the fair, local companies will be able to network with key stakeholders and decision-makers in the organic sector in Germany and the EU.
“They will meet with importers, distributors and buyers from retail groups face-to-face. This will enable them to introduce their products directly to these target markets, as well as network and build relationships with potential customers from different parts of the world,” said the department.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country will make a concerted effort to expand its export base, particularly for manufactured goods while also focusing on raising the sophistication of South African exports.
The trade fair will conclude on Saturday. – SAnews.gov.za
