Agroalimentaria 2017 was reported as a resounding success by the organizers, the Dominican Trade and Investment Promotion Office (CEI-RD) and the Dominican Agroindustry Board (JAD) who all gave very positive feedback on the completion of the event.
Buyers from 35 countries, as far as Germany, Spain, London, Latin American and the Caribbean, attended and 3,000 business appointments were conducted in 72 hours. Without a doubt, exhibitors had 2 busy business days with a constant flow of visitors at their booths for enquiry and tasting of the products.
Trinidad and Tobago’s participation fell under the umbrella of Caribbean Export which sponsored the chocolate exporter, Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company (TTFCC) as an exhibitor, The TTFCC is a new state-of-art cocoa processing facility based in Central Trinidad producing single estate ‘trinitario bean’ cocoa products for the high-value clients including the finest restaurants and hotels around the world. Offering a range from 50% milk to 100% cocoa for savoury dishes, this is the perfect ingredient for cooking with beef, pork and chicken dishes. TTFCC launched a selection for Harrods Stores in London and works with several Michelin-star chefs such as Jockie Pitrie, head chef to the world famous Gordon Ramsay Restaurants.
TTFCC was pleased to attend Agroalimentaria 2017 to explore new opportunities in the region for the fine flavour cocoa and chocolate and the feedback received from chef and buyers were very positive. Good leads and partnership were established at the show.
What did TTFCC’s Owner, Ashley Parasram have to say on the event?
“I thought participating in Agroalimentaria 2017 was incredibly beneficial in several areas. Firstly, as part of the Caribbean Export stand I was able to meet other brands throughout the Caribbean region. We were able to share experiences and contacts and I have already found useful partnerships through this network. During the 4 days, I met over 100 company-related entities ranging from Government officials, export agents, distribution and logistics companies and cocoa growers. There were a number of areas of business from these encounters and we are now following up on leads. Other benefits of attending the event included the opportunity to learn more about Dominican Republic’s cocoa sector and identify partnerships with growers. We are now planning to source raw material from the DR as part of our process. Finally, I was very impressed with the team from Caribbean Export. The event and the stand were well organised and executed. It was an honour to represent Trinidad & Tobago at the event and hope that similar opportunities will arise in the future”.
In addition to the TTFCC, companies from Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, Belize, and Barbados exhibited at the show under the Caribbean Export banner.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has published its annual report on the economic performance of Central America and the Dominican Republic, which estimates an average growth of 45% in this region. This report provides a better performance of the Dominican Republic in 2017, with GDP growth of 6.2%. exporTT will follow up on the leads received at the show for potential exporters and will develop a plan of action and strategy to increase trade between both countries.
For further information on Agroalimentaria 2017 or doing Business in Dominican Republic feel free to contact Ms. Nathali Richards – Senior Export Officer
