Eight Latvian food and beverage producers will participate in the ‘Organic & Natural’ fair

From 6 to 8 December, Latvian producers will present their organic and natural products and beverages to the world at the international fair ‘Organic & Natural’. Right after the fair, the companies plan to participate in the EXPO 2020 food trade mission to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The companies will have the opportunity to meet with potential partners and visit stands of other Member States.

The companies ‘Lat Eko Food’ (‘Rūdolfs’), ‘FELICI’ (‘Muesli Graci’), ‘NutriBoom’, ‘Very Berry’, ‘Krogzeme’, ‘Mītavas Čiekurs’, ‘Grow Bite’ (‘Prosvego’) and ‘Markol’ (‘Zaķumuiža water’) will participate in the fair.

This is an opportunity for the companies to show Latvian products at the largest organic food fair in the Middle East ‘Organic & Natural’. The demand for organic products in the region is constantly growing. Last year, more than 1,350 participants and 10,500 visitors from 48 countries attended the fair on site.

“This fair is one of the biggest in the region for the respective food segments and it is attended by a wide range of potential partners. As this year the fairs happen alongside EXPO, it is expected that it will attract even more attention from international visitors, opening up opportunities not only in the UAE and the Middle East, but also in other markets. Latvian companies will present products traditional to Latvia such as berry drinks and natural purees, as well as unique produce such as syrup from pinecones. All Latvian companies have potential in the Eastern market. ‘Gulfood’ and ‘YUMMEX’ fairs were also of great interest to our companies. We have a wide variety of products, a lot of which is a novelty to the world,” says Anna Daudziņa, Project Manager of the Export Promotion Division at LIAA, emphasising that potential partners from the Middle East are pleasantly surprised by the quality, taste and packaging of Latvian products, and that we clearly stand out from other countries.

After the fair, LIAA is organising a trade mission for Latvian entrepreneurs to the UAE, offering individual meetings with potential cooperation partners. It will also be useful to walk around local supermarkets and understand what products are available in the market, what the pricing policy is, and what favours are in demand.

‘Zaķumuiža water’ is already operating in the UAE; the aim of participation in the fair and trade mission is to increase the market share. “The UAE market is interesting, but at the same time very complex–saturated, with strong competitors. Food and beverage companies considering exporting to this market must fight with strong global producers. Therefore, we need to be really focused and take into account the need to invest resources in obtaining product certification that differs from European requirements in this market. We already have a successful partnership with a partner in the UAE, and this year we aim to work together to find new partners – both supermarket chains and companies in the HORECA sector, to expand the presence of ‘Zaķumuiža water’ in the region. The visibility of the brand itself is also important: if you participate in fairs several times, the brand becomes recognisable, and it can also play an important role in negotiations with potential partners,” says Elena Renemane, Business Development Manager at ‘Markol’ (‘Zaķumuiža water’).

‘NutriBoom’ will go to Dubai with its freeze-dried smoothies. Unlike classic drying, when the product is heated and thus loses both its appearance and nutritional value, freeze-drying ensures the preservation of up to 95–98% of the nutrients of the fresh product, including vitamins and minerals.

“During the sublimation process our smoothie blends preserve not only the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, but also their taste, colour, aroma and appearance, become pleasantly crisp, have a long shelf life, and can be stored at room temperature. In all respects, it is a green product, easy and convenient to prepare, and no food waste is generated during the smoothie preparation process. In the Middle East, we are currently looking at both export opportunities in supermarket chains and HORECA, as the product is suitable for both stores and end users. However, to enter this market, you need a local partner who “knows how it works”. We hope to meet such at the fair and trade mission, as well as get to know other manufacturers of products in this segment,” says Ilze Kalniņa, creator and CEO of ‘NutriBoom’.

The EXPO 2020 world fair takes place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Additional information about Latvia’s participation in EXPO 2020 is available here: https://www.expo2020.lv/.

Information prepared by LIAA Communication and information department. Contacts: prese@liaa.gov.lv, +371 29725674. Publicity photo.