Arab culinary is surrendering to Brazilian seasoning. The trading company Double Port, based in Curitiba, city in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, has just settled exports contracts to Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, at US$ 320,000.
In the following weeks, the firm will be shipping to the three countries crunchy garlic, seasoning for beef, chicken and salads, as well as ketchup. Mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan cheese and milk sweet are also part of the lot.
The sales are result of a 30-day trip the partners Reyadh Nassir Hanna and André de Fino made through the region last month. The products are produced by Mix & Spices and the dairy products company Laticínios Rio Bonito, both of the Plenaventura group, based in Curitiba. In the Arab market the seasonings go by the brand Tia Anastácia and the dairy products, Goods Brazil.
To enter the market in the region however, may mean a little more than convincing. Sometimes a change in consumption habits is needed. According to the businessman, part of the Arab housewives still buys seasonings in bulk.
For this reason the Double Port distributor is going for a strategy very well known by the Brazilian consumer: the ‘testing’, which means placing a lady at the supermarket offering the product for tasting. “The Arab consumers are discovering the advantages of practicability,” observed Hanna.
An Iraqi settled in Brazil, the director of Double Port observes that the Arab market is keen on buying and has great liking for the Brazilians. In November the partners at the trading will go back to the Orient.
As well as verifying in loco the arrival of the goods, they will make a prospecting journey to Jordan and Libya. Saudi Arabia may also become a good market for the ‘made in Brazil’ seasoning, believes Hanna.
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Trading Double Port
Telephones: +55 (41) 3256-6059; +55 (41) 9192-9997; +55(41) 8801-1347.
reyadh@doubleport.com.br ; andre@doubleport.com.br
Omar Nasser is from the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (Fiep).
Anba – www.anba.com.br