Andalusia leads the Spanish agri-food presence at the SIAL Paris 78 Fair with 2018 companies

The most important agri-food showcase worldwide

This autonomous community exports one of every four euros that Spain sells abroad in this sector.

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This Andalusian leadership is also replicated in the national exports of agri-food and beverages in 2017 with 23,4% of the total, practically one in every four euros sold Spain Worldwide. These foreign sales grew by 9,2% in that year, registering the best annual figure in history and exceeding 10.900 million for the first time in this period, reaching 10.937 million.

 

La Minister of Knowledge, Research and University and president of Extenda, Lina Gálvez, has supported Paris the participation of the Andalusian companies at this professional fair, which they have attended with the aim of showing their offer to visitors. 

 

SIAL Paris It is held biennially and Andalusian firms have been present there with the support of extend since the first editions. In 2016, 1.020 exhibitors participated, representing 109 countries, as well as 100 official delegations. The appointment included 155.700 international professional visitors from 194 countries. This is one of the main actions that extend organizes in the french market, the second destination for Andalusian exports, with 10,7% of the total during the first seven months of 2018, representing 2.122 million euros and an increase of 1% compared to the same period of the previous year. 

 

In the field of agri-food and beverages, France It is also the second market of Andalucía, with 924 million euros so far this year, with 13,6% of sales and an increase of 3%. Furthermore, Andalusia remains the second community in agri-food sales to this country, with 19,5% of the national total, and there are now 549 regular exporting firms out of a total of 783 that sell their products in French territory, thus surpassing the total number of regular exporters for all of 2017.

 

Support for table olives and market diversification

 

The Minister of Knowledge, Research and University, Lina Galvez wanted to put the emphasis on “the support that from the Junta de Andalucía is being provided to table olives, which have lost market due to the increase in tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in the US, the main destination for foreign sales of this product.” In that sense, he has stressed that “the Andalusian government will allocate an additional million euros to promote table olives in France", indicating that "the measure will not only be important for the industrialists who process and package the product, but also for the farmers of the region, who are the ones who produce it." 

 

The head of Knowledge explained that the decision to choose the French country to launch this promotional campaign has been taken in collaboration with the sector and taking into account that "this is the market with the most growth potential." In fact, she has clarified that 50% of the table olives consumed in France It is of Spanish origin and that three out of every four Spanish olives sold there are Andalusian. Therefore, “we believe that there is still a lot of room for growth and that is why we are betting on and co-financing the export strategies of Andalusian companies,” he said.  

 

On the other hand, Galvez has stressed that the potential of Andalusian agri-food It is based on quality and innovation. In his opinion, these two aspects constitute “the main strategy that allows this economic segment to continue growing and open to new markets.” "There is a lot of innovation being made and that effort not only comes from the sector itself, but also from the research centers, where cutting-edge innovation is being made and which is increasingly being transferred to the company." As an example of this work, the Knowledge Minister has highlighted the award given to the brand ELAYO de Jaen, distinguished with the 'Intermediate food or ingredient' award for its preparation of an olive seed flour, rich in proteins, fibers and omega 3