Big dependence on food imports
Local producers and food processors in the Middle East produce only about 10 per cent of the region’s needs, officials said.

“The Middle East is, thus, very dependent on large-scale food and food-related imports,”  said Helal Saeed Khalfan Al Merri, director-general of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
“Much of the UAE’s food imports are re-exported, highlighting its importance as a centre for the regional food industry,” he added. Dubai’s total foodstuff imports reached Dh7.84 billion ($2.13 billion) in 2003, according to the Department of Customs. Of this, Dh2.81 billion accounted for re-exports and Dh1.01 billion exports, leaving products of Dh4.02 billion value for local consumption.
This, however, excludes the import, re-export and export of livestock. In 2003, Dubai imported Dh1.69 billion worth of live animals, of which Dh279.10 million was re-exported and Dh90.94 million exported.
This single factor explains why about 70 per cent of the exhibitors at Gulfood 2005 were foreigners.

Dairy firm opens outlet
Al Ain Dairy Farm has opened a new retail outlet in Abu Dhabi called ‘Farm Fresh.’
A company official said the opening followed the success of its other outlets.
The convenience store is located at Khalidiya Road and will be opened to reach more consumers with longer operating hours - from 7am till 11pm.
“Farm Fresh offers the best of Al Ain Dairy and Al Ain Poultry products which have been known to be of high quality, healthy and fresh - the brand that UAE residents have trusted through the years,” an Al Ain spokesman said. Other nutritious products such as Camel Milk, Max Calcium, Benecol, Optimil, Slim, Cappucino, Yoyo and Yogo will also be available as well in Farm Fresh outlets.
Freshness and good nutrition is now closer to us at Farm Fresh in Khalidiya. More Al Ain Dairy retail outlets will be established soon across the UAE.

CEO appointed
Co-op Islami has announced that Saleh Abdullah Lootah has been appointed its chief executive officer.
The move aims to strengthen management at the halal food company as it steps up its bid to become a leading player in the GCC’s fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, a spokesman said.

Price standardisation for longlife products
The UAE’s longlife juice producers may soon standardise the prices of their products, a report said.
Dairy and fresh juice prices have been standardised as of January 1, under the terms of a deal struck by the UAE Dairy Products Association.
Association chairman and Al Rawabi Dairy Company general manager Dr Ahmad Al Tijani said 29 member companies wanted to standardise the prices of their products.
“Under the terms of the agreement for the longlife fresh milk, a 12-litre container sells for Dh42, while powdered milk sells for Dh38,” he said.
Additional price standardisation for certain other products may also be on the way. “At present, we will not increase the prices of fresh juice products. We planned in our last meeting to unite all fresh juice companies and standardise prices in that sector,” Al Tijani said.
“The Juice and Dairy Producers Group plans to list, in a formal agreement, a number of dairy and juice products, the prices of which we plan to standardise, “ said Al Tijani.

Sugar deal
Dubai’s Al Khaleej Sugar refinery has agreed to sell 50,000 tonnes of raw sugar and 80,000 tonnes of refined sugar to private Pakistani buyers, the refinery’s chairman Al-Ghurair Jamal said.
“We have just signed. Our main advantage is quick delivery and cheap container freight from Dubai,” he said.

Argentine wheat for Asia
Dirt-cheap prices for Argentina’s record wheat crop have allowed exporters to regain markets in Asia after a two-year lull, analysts say.
One of the world’s top five wheat exporters, Argentina’s 2004/05 wheat output is estimated at 16 million tonnes by the local and US governments, a sharp rise from the previous two years.
So far this season, 27 per cent of the 5.6 million tonnes of wheat exported has gone to Asia, up from just 5 per cent of total sales during the 2003/04 campaign.
“This is a matter of prices. We have a disadvantage on shipping costs (with other exporters to Asia), but the price gap makes up for that,” Mario Garcia, a food markets analyst at the Agriculture Secretariat, said.