REPORT ON VII ALIMENTEC CORFERIAS TRADE FAIR IN BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA FROM 19 TH JUNE-23 RD JUNE, 2012 Dr Ranjan K.Bhagobaty Scientist-B (Microbiology) Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Cochin Introduction Alimentec is the most representative international trade fair in the food and hotel industry sector in Latin America and is organized by the International Business Center and Exhibition (Corferias) in Bogotá, Colombia. The seventh edition of the fair held from 19 th -23 rd June,2012 bought together major buyers, wholesalers, distributors and importers of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Aruba and other islands of Central America with participants from North America, India and Korea. The sectors that participated in the exhibition were: fresh food, processed foods, organic foods, sweeteners, drinks and liquors, machinery and equipment for food processing, packaging, raw materials, provisions, supplies, household goods, furniture, technology and computer utilities and telecommunications, maintenance services and supplies, financial services and insurance, entertainment, transportation, security, supplies and services. The event was organized in three pavilions representing: food and beverages, machinery and supplies and food and drinks. The objectives of the fair were to: Provide the best meeting place for national and international buyers. Boost the development of the food industry in Colombia through the participation of exhibitors in the field, machinery for processing and packing, certified companies, Food and Beverage, fruit and vegetable agriculture, supplies, packaging, technology and services.
About the Organizer: The International Center of Business and Exhibitions S.A. (Corferias, Bogotá) has more than 50 years of experience leading the fair activities in the region, promoting commercial and cultural exchange at the national and international level. Gathers more than 9,000 exhibitors in 151,460 sq meters of exhibition area and attracts 1,350,000 visitors a year. The exhibition ground has modern facilities and offer complementary services such as a modern and systemized log of buyers and sellers, a food court, a parking lot with capacity for 2,700 vehicles, a large convention center with an auditorium and meeting halls, in addition to a modern multi-event hall, which is the only one of its kind in Colombia and Latin America. Corferias is a commercial company and it is the biggest shareholder in the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. Participating sectors: In total 254 companies participated as exhibitors in the five day long trade fair. The companies are grouped into the following areas based on their profiles. FRESH AND POST HARVEST Coffee byproducts Fruits Vegetables Aromatic plants Tubers Vegetables RAW MATERIAL AND SUPPLIES Oil, fat, and margarine Sugar and sweeteners Artificial color Salt Yeast Preservatives Artificial flavors Sauces, Seasoning and Spices Meat tenderizer PROCESSED FOODS Diet food products Precooked, Refrigerated and Frozen food products Dehydrated drinks and food products Meat and its by-products Cereals, grains, flour and pasta Candy, snacks and chocolates Preserves and canned goods Dairy products (cheese, butter, curd etc.) Insufflated Bakery products, cookies and desserts Fish, shrimp, crustaceans, mollusks and sea food Chicken and its by products 2
DRINKS AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Mineral and natural water Beers and malts Natural fruit juice Dairy products Energy drinks Soft drinks Liquor Wines Coffees MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES Commercial and industrial scales and balances Transportation bands Commercial and industrial ovens and microwave ovens Saws, slicers, cutters and grinders Industrial Kitchens Cream separators - Juicers Machinery for dairy industry Machinery for food processing Cooling tanks Refrigeration and freezing equipments Dispensers PACKAGES, CONTAINERS, PACKAGING Packages Containers and Packaging Storage Refrigeration INDUSTRIAL SECURITY ALTERNATIVE SERVICES OTHER SERVICES Gloves, Footwear, Overalls Respiratory, Auditory, Body and Eye Protection. Catering, delicatessen, confectionary and bakery Research and project development Software Solutions for points of sale Academic Finance and credit entities Associations and guilds Federations Software Quality certification organizations Government entities Specialized publication Universities- Graduate Studies Cleaning Services Customs intermediary 3
agencies Specialized cargo transportation Profile of Visitors to the fair: Visitors to the fair included people, who make buying decisions, specify raw materials and products in the industry: Managers, owners, or administrators. Food and Beverage chiefs. Purchase chiefs. Other visitors to the fair included people who belong to the institutional channels, especially in the following areas: Restaurants. Hotels. Bars and Cafés. Confectionaries and bakeries. Social clubs. Supermarkets. Banquets and receptions. Industrial Kitchens. Academic and educational. 4
Brief facts about the host nation and city Colombia is one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830(the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). In January2011, Colombia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term. Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama Area: Total: 1,138,910 sq km Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower Land use: Arable land: 2.01%permanent crops: 1.37% other: 96.62% Population: 45,239,079 Ethnic groups: Mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1% Language: Spanish (official) Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10% Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 6,109,495/female 5,834,273); 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 14,826,008/female 15,208,799)65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,159,691/female 1,587,277) Major cities - population: BOGOTA (capital) 8.262 million; Medellin 3.497 million; Cali 2.352 million; Barranquilla 1.836million; Bucaramanga 1.065 million (2009) Bogotá City: 5
Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, located in the center of the country on a vast plain at 2,600 meters above sea level and with a moderate temperature has a population of eight million people from all corners of Colombia; a city as diverse as the entire country. Declared World Book Capital by UNESCO and Iberoamerican Capital of Culture by the UCCI, Bogotá has become one of the most important cities of the continent, with public spaces such as plazas, streets and modern avenues. Its Mass Transit System is considered one of the most important in Latin America and a model for transportation systems in the country and the continent. The city has the world s largest bicycling network the Ciclovía, which covers close to 300 kilometers. Bogotá has earned a place among the major gastronomic capitals of Latin America. Its six dining areas with world-class restaurants offer local and international cuisine. The city was listed by the New York Times as one of the 31 destinations to visit in 2010. Climate: Temperature ranges from 12º C to 18º C Economy - overview: Colombia's consistently sound economic policies and aggressive promotion of free trade agreements in recent years have bolstered its ability to face external shocks. Real GDP grew 5.7%in 2011 and inflation ended 2011 at 3.7%, continuing almost a decade of strong economic performance. All three major ratings agencies have upgraded Colombia 's investment grade. Nevertheless, Colombia depends heavily on oil exports, making it vulnerable to a drop in oil prices. Economic development is stymied by inadequate infrastructure, weakened further by recent flooding. Moreover, the unemployment rate of 10.8% in 2011 is still one of Latin America's highest. The US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was ratified by the US Congress in October 2011 and is pending implementation in 2012. Columbia has signed or is negotiating FTAs with a number of other countries, including Canada, Chile, Mexico, Switzerland, the EU, Venezuela, South Korea, Turkey, Japan, and Israel. Foreign direct investment - notably in the oil sector - reached a record $10 billion in 2008 but dropped to $7.2billion in 2009, before beginning to recover in 2010, and it appears to have reached a record high$13 billion in 2011. Colombia is the third largest Latin American 6
exporter of oil to the US. Inequality, underemployment, and narcotrafficking remain significant challenges, and Colombia s infrastructure requires major improvements to sustain economic expansion. Pre-Fair activities: The website of the VII Alimentec Corferias 2012 Trade fair provided a free complimentary feature to all the participating exhibitors. The feature was the facility to put up a Virtual Stand in their website. These virtual stands as the name implies was supposed to be an online promotional tool for the participants prior to the actual fair. The virtual stand of Spices Board was created by me, with support and help of the publicity section. The virtual stand put up was a success, in drawing the attention of the people towards the participation of the Board in the event. An unique feature that came along with this virtual stand was the ability to trace the number of times it has been viewed by people online. Till 30/9/2012 there have been around 129 visits to the Virtual stand of the board. Touch Down at El Dorado Airport, Bogotá I reached El Dorado international airport on the night of 17 th June, 2012 from New Delhi via Frankfurt in Lufthansa Setting up of the stall The next day i.e. 18 th June 2012, was fully devoted to setting up of the stand in the trade fair. 19 th June 2012, Day 1 The fair opened for exhibitors in 9 am on 19 th June, 2012 and was opened to the public at 12 pm. Our interpreter had arrived at 10 am and I asked her to translate all the leaflets and other publicity materials in Spanish. A total of 8 parties came to visit our stand between 12 noon to 8 pm in the evening. Numerous other curious visitors also visited the stand and wanted to buy the products on display. The response was not bad in numbers for the first day since, the visitors to fair as a whole on Day 1 was meagre. The details of the parties and the enquiries made are given in Annexure 1. 20 th June 2012, Day 2 On the second day of the fair, we experienced a steady increase in the number of visitors to the stand. A total of 11 parties came to during the day for enquiries. The 7
details of the parties and the enquiries made are given in Annexure 1. We were also able to give them printed handouts of all the brochures and leaflets in Spanish. This increased the general interest in the activities of the Board and also Indian spices. 21 st June 2012, Day 3 On the third day of the fair a total of 12 parties came for enquiries. We also experienced an increase in the number of curious visitors into the stand wanting to know in general about Indian spices. By far this was the day with the most number of visitors into the stand. We were successful in giving the details of the Board s participation to the Press Office of Corferias. The aim was to publish in local Spanish news media about the Board s participation in the ongoing fair.the details of the parties showing serious interest and the enquiries made by them are given in Annexure 1. The highlight of the day was the visit of the honorable Ambassador of India in Colombia, Shri Riewad V. Warjri to the stand. He spent around an hour and half in the stand, showing his keen interest on the generic spice samples on display. He also had a very extensive discussion with respected Chairman of Spices Board regarding the promotion of Indian spices in Colombia and Latin America as a whole. He also wanted to showcase Indian spices in the Indian embassy. 8
Ambassador of India to Colombia, Shri Riewad V. Warjri seen in keen discussion with Dr A Jayathilak, Chairman Spices Board and Dr Ranjan K.Bhagobaty, Scientist-B, during his visit to the Spices Board Stand Ambassador of India Shri Riewad V. Warjri being presented with assorted Spices and spice flavoured chocolate gift packs by Dr A.Jayathilak, Chairman Spices Board during his visit to the Spices Board Stand at the event. 22 nd June 2012, Day 4 On the fourth day of the fair a total of 12 parties came for enquiries. Numerous numbers of curious visitors also visited the stand. The details of the parties and the enquiries made are given in Annexure 1. 23 rd June 2012, Day 5 (Final Day) The last day of the fair a total of 9 parties came for enquiries. The details of the enquiries are given in Annexure 1. The fair came to an end at 8.30 pm and the items hired from Corferias was returned back. After getting official release from Corferias, I came back to my hotel. 9
The Market Study (24th June, 2012) The market study was conducted by hiring a taxi that could take us to the most important markets of Bogotá as planned. The services of the interpreter were also taken during the study. The different markets surveyed are discussed in details below: Exito Hypermarket Exito, a hypermarket chain of Almacenes Exito SA (largest retailer in Colombia) is one of the most popular retail markets for food products in Colombia. These stores are built with an average investment of about COP$ 4,800 million each and sell practically all groceries, clothing and fabrics, home appliances, other home and personal care products, and a variety of home entertainment electronic and digital options under one roof. The spices were sold in a particular section of the store. Although the same spice in the fresh herb form was sold alongside the vegetables and fruits. The different spices available included Turmeric, Cinnamon, Garlic, Chilli (many varieties), Pepper (black), Wild Coriander, Fennel, Oregano, Marjoram, Laurel, Basil and Thyme. Cinnamon, Garlic, Chilli and Pepper were sold as whole spices whereas Turmeric, Wild Coriander, Laurel, Basil and Thyme were sold either in the powdered or crushed forms. Spice mixes were also available. Prices ranged from COP$ 500 to 3000 depending on the type and quantity of spices. The packed quantity of the spices ranged from 20-80 grams. The spice brands available in this hypermarket were: 1. Exito 2. Elrey 3. Del fogón 4. Don Magola 5. Kiska (Morenos) 6. Tana (Organic) 7. P & I 10
Carrefour Hypermarket Carrefour is a French retail Hypermarket chain in Colombia. It s key focus revolves around providing best quality products to consumers at the cheapest prices. It has its own brands named as Calidad Natural and Actua for agricultural produce which emphasizes on sustainable agricultural practices and shift from cultivation of narco crops to food crops in Colombia. A section of the market is devoted entirely for imported items sold under the brand importado from France, Spain and Brazil. The different spices available included Achiote (Locally popular spice used for food colouring), Turmeric, Cinnamon, Garlic, Chilli (many varieties), Pepper (black), Pepper (Red), Coriander, Cumin, Cloves, Fennel, Oregano, Marjoram, Laurel, Basil and Thyme. Spice mixes were also available. Prices ranged from COP$ 400 to 7500 depending on the type and quantity of spices. The packed quantity of the spices ranged from 20-100 grams. The spice brands available in this hypermarket were: 1. Carrefour 2. Elrey 3. Del fogón 4. Don Magola 5. Kiska (Morenos) 6. Tana (Organic) 7. P & I 8. Sasones 9. McCormick 10. Badia 11. Huertos Verdes 12. La Barraca 13. Salsita Color Makro Supermarket 11
Makro is part of the Dutch SHV Group and is one of the first supermarkets in Colombia to specialize in catering to the institutional market (restaurants, hotels, casinos, clubs, retailers, institutions and industries). Like all other markets visited Makro also had its own brand for Spices. The different spices available included Curcumin powder, Cinnamon, Garlic, Chilli (many varieties), Pepper (black), Pepper (Red), Coriander, Cumin, Basil and Thyme. Prices ranged from COP$ 400 to 8000 depending on the type and quantity of spices. The packed quantity of the spices ranged from 20-250 grams. The spice brands available in this Supermarket were: 1. Makro 2. Elrey 3. Don Magola 4. Kiska (Morenos) 5. Tana (Organic) 6. P & I 7. Sasones 8. McCormick Carulla Supermarket Carulla is a supermarket chain headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia and has a 100 year long history. It holds a good market participation in the cities of Bogotá, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla. It currently considered the one of the best destinations to buy fruits and vegetables, meats, spirits and liquors, and bakery products.carulla was also the first retailer in Colombia to use a loyalty card called the Supercliente Card. The different spices available included Turmeric, Cinnamon, Garlic, Chilli (many varieties), Pepper (black), Coriander, Fennel, Oregano, Marjoram, Laurel, Basil and Thyme. Prices ranged from COP$ 500 to 9000 depending on the type and quantity of spices. Spice mixes were also available. The packed quantity of the spices ranged from 20-150 grams. 12
The spice brands available in Carulla Supermarket were: 1. Carulla 2. Elrey 3. Del fogón 4. Kiska (Morenos) 5. Tana (Organic) 6. P & I 7. Olde Thompson Gourmet Mercado de las pulgas (Usaquén s Flea Market) This market is a traditional country market that mainly opens on Sundays and Holidays. Many restaurants serving traditional cuisines can be found in the market place. Only a few of these restaurants also sold Spices and herbs to customers and tourists. Pepper and Chilli were the only spices on display. The price for the same quantity of black pepper was around 30 percent cheaper to those in the organized retail markets. Photography of the shelves containing the spices was not allowed. The spices did not have any brand name and were packed as per the customer s requirement. Some observations: 1. All the supermarkets visited sold spices with their own brand name along with those of major spice companies 2. Some of the spices like thyme were also sold as a fresh herb in the section devoted to fruits and vegetables 3. Indian brands were totally absent in all the markets visited 4. Carulla headquartered in Bogotá has now been taken over by the same group as Exito. However, because of its traditional appeal the brand name is still being continued as it was prior to the takeover. Very much similar to Coca Cola India retaining Thumps Up Brand of Parle. 5. Achiote and Cumin were major constituents in spice mixes. 6. Salt flavoured with Pepper and Herbs was also seen in all the supermarkets. 13