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First International Specialized Food Fair

“Culinaria" opens in Belgrade

24. September 2010. | 11:19 11:24

Source: Emg.rs, Infobiro.tv

U.S. Ambassador Mary Warlick, together with the Minister of agriculture, forestry and water management Sasa Dragin, German Ambassador Wolfram Mass and VicePresident of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Stevan Jevtic, officially opened today in Belgrade the first specialized fine food and beverages fair in southeast Europe.

U.S. Ambassador Mary Warlick, together with the Minister of agriculture, forestry and water management Sasa Dragin, German Ambassador Wolfram Mass and VicePresident of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Stevan Jevtic, officially opened today in Belgrade the first specialized fine food and beverages fair in southeast Europe.

Titled “CULINARIA”, the Belgrade food trade show is held at the BelExpo Center and will be open until Saturday, September 25th.

"We get to know people by knowing the kind of food they eat, and we can be proud of the culinarian specialties and products presented today”, said Minister Dragin.

Ambassador Warlick emphasized that the USA assisted over 120 Serbian agribusinesses to prepare for and exhibit at 22 international food fairs and contract sales of approx. 90 million dollars.

Warlick stated that Culinaria is a good opportunity for foreign buyers to come to Serbia and noted that every dollar invested in the organization of a trade show - makes three dollars for the city where the fair is held.

German Ambassador Wolfram Maas stated that his country supports overall Serbian efforts on its path to the European Union, while agriculture is an important segment of the Serbian economy.

"CULINARIA" is organized by the BelExpo company, and supported by the USAID Agribusiness project, Ministry of agriculture, Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) and German technical cooperation organization (GTZ).

Over 80 exhibitors from former Yugoslavia republics, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and other countries in the region, will present their delicacies including: fruit preserves, jams and juices, Balkan truffles and wild mushrooms, hams and prosciuttos, artisan white cheeses, honey from some of the most preserved forests in Europe, purest spring water, connoisseurs’ wines and fruit brandies, herbal teas and a wide selection of organic food. Visitors will be able to see some products from Serbia produced for export only, like Saher cake made in Kragujevac and exported to Vienna!

First day of the fair is reserved for professional, trade buyers only (suppliers of supermarket chains, specialty food stores, HoReCa and food services), while on the second and the third day the fair will be open to the general public as well. Entry tickets will be sold at 100 dinars.

All the profits made from the sale of tickets, as well as a portion of the food and drinks samples exhibited at the fair - will be donated to the humanitarian campaign “Food for everyone”. To mark the opening of the CULINARIA fair, the BelExpo company will, additionally, donate 1800 kg of flour, 220 kg of pasta and 1200 kg rice to this charitable activity.

For over seven years, USAID has been assisting Serbian companies to increase exports. Well over 200 Serbian companies have participated in USAID’s buyer linkages through trade show presentations in Germany, France, Italy, UK, Russia, Japan, Dubai and the US.

However, only a limited number of companies each year could take advantage of the direct foreign market access. This is why CULINARIA has been designed to bring the buyers to Serbia and to enable a large number of regional small and medium-sized agribusinesses to present their products to the world and increase their domestic and international sales.

In the last decade, countries from the south-east Europe have improved their production and marketing and have outgrown their traditional Diaspora markets. Today, they are serious players in the international food market. In 2009 alone, the countries from the region exported food and agricultural products valued at over four billion dollars.

South-east European fine food and drinks have become globally known for their exquisite taste and prime quality. Building on the increasing demand many local fine food companies have developed their brands into global names. Wild mushrooms from the region are now being served at some of the New York’s finest restaurants; organic raspberries are a specialty in Tokyo design hotels; while prosciuttos and wines are becoming a staple in delicatessen food stores in London, Rome, Berlin, Moscow and Singapore.

Belgrade is not just the logistical center of Southeastern Europe, it’s also becoming the economic center and therefore CULINARIA is not just a Serbian fair. It’s an international fair that offers companies from throughout the region and beyond the opportunity to meet new buyers, to learn from market experts, and to exchange experiences.

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