The Mauritanian pavilion will make its first appearance at the tenth edition of the Food Africa trade show, which will be held from December 9 to 12 in Cairo. According to Aichetou Taffa, director of agricultural investment and export promotion at the National Society for Rural Development, this is part of Mauritania's ambition to become a major source of fresh produce and to open up to more markets and investors.
© Food Africa
Taffa states: "We are participating in Food Africa with a delegation of eight exhibitors in addition to SONADER. We have striven to ensure a fairly diverse representation in terms of company size, of location, covering more agricultural regions of Mauritania, but also in terms of production, which encompasses more products compared to the international trade shows we have participated in previously.
Mauritania's flagship fresh produce, such as watermelons and melons, will be showcased at Food Africa alongside other vegetable products such as tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, potatoes, zucchini, and chili peppers. These are products with strong export potential in the African market," Taffa continues.
Participation in Food Africa reflects Mauritania's African-rooted approach and its desire to diversify its markets, Taffa adds. "The African market for fresh produce complements the European market and can absorb large volumes. We benefit from considerable advantages such as fast connectivity and short transit times to several major ports on the continent. It is also a market where demand for early vegetables, potatoes, onions, and chilis is very strong."
© SONADER
"Food Africa also attracts a large number of visitors from the Middle East and Asia who come to source fresh produce. We want to present them with the Mauritanian alternative, which is highly credible and effective for products such as herbs for the Middle East or peanuts for Asian markets, already in production on Mauritanian soil, or soft fruits soon," Taffa continues.
In addition to prospecting markets and concluding deals, Sonader is seeking to use its first participation in Food Africa to deepen institutional relations with its Egyptian counterparts. Taffa says, "Egypt is an inspiration for us, with a thriving agricultural sector, intensive production, and strong export capabilities, advantages that we hope to achieve in our country. Alongside promoting the exhibiting companies, it will also be an opportunity to meet institutional actors in Egypt and learn from their experience."
© Food Africa
"Finally, this is a good opportunity to promote Mauritania's fresh produce industry to Egyptian producers and attract investors. More and more Egyptian producers are already knocking on our door and want to work in our country. Our role at Sonader is to support them," Taffa concludes.
For more information:
Aichetou Taffa
National Society for Rural Development - Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Tel: +222 43 45 45 60
Email: [email protected]
