Kazakhstan missed the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai
Source: The DairyNews
From February 19 to 23, 2024, the international Gulfood-2024 exhibition is taking place in Dubai, UAE. Despite the participation of almost all countries, Kazakhstan is among the absentees at this major event. However, a trade mission of goods producers and service providers from Kazakhstan is scheduled in Dubai from February 27 to 29, 2024. This decision has raised questions and criticism from experts, as reported by The DairyNews.
The Gulfood-2024 international food industry exhibition has brought together more than 5200 companies fr om 125 countries and over 130,000 visitors from around the world. It is one of the most significant events in the industry, providing a unique platform for establishing business contacts and promoting products in the global market. While many countries, including neighboring Central Asian countries, actively showcased their products and services, Kazakhstan chose to miss this important opportunity to promote its products abroad.
Mikhail Mishchenko, an expert from DIA, noted the absence of Kazakhstan's stands at the exhibition and emphasized that many other countries actively support their producers at similar events.
"I want to draw attention to the fact that at the exhibition, I saw stands from almost every country, including, of course, Central Asian countries. There was a stand, not just one, from the Republic of Uzbekistan, there was a stand from the Republic of Tajikistan, of course, there was Russia, and Ukraine was also present. But there was no Kazakhstan, no Kyrgyzstan. In this case, as a citizen of Kazakhstan, I am speaking for Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was not there. And what is interesting: I spoke with some people who come to Kazakhstan from other countries, have a certain influence in trade missions, in trading companies. According to them, they invited and even insisted that Kazakhstan support its producers and provide support for export initiatives so that Kazakh producers could be present and have their stands at the Gulfood exhibition. But the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to create its separate Trade Mission right after the end of the Gulfood exhibition," says the expert.
Kazakhstan's plan to conduct a trade mission in Dubai immediately after the exhibition raises questions about the logic and feasibility of such a step. After the main industry players have already concluded their business meetings and contracts at the exhibition, Kazakh entrepreneurs may find themselves in a disadvantageous position, facing limited opportunities and competition.
"The Kazakh trade mission will arrive and sell its goods. Perhaps, they will discuss oil and other things there, but there will also be representatives of agriculture, food producers. And, of course, the sources, people I spoke to, ask me: who will come there at all? Buyers will not come there. The question is: what is the problem with supporting your agricultural producers? I'm not talking about dairy products in Kazakhstan... But grain? Deep processing of grain, some other products. The state does not support its suppliers, its producers, and the export of products is not taken into account at all. If people conduct a trade mission right after the end of the world's largest food exhibition, wh ere no one will come by default, then I have a question: who are these people? How do they make decisions, and what are these decisions based on?" questions Mikhail Mishchenko.
The planned trade mission in Dubai, according to organizers' statements, will cover various industries, including IT and oil service companies. However, despite the broad spectrum of represented sectors, the question of how effectively resources and opportunities will be used to promote agricultural and food industry products remains open. Such actions raise certain doubts and questions about the transparency of the motives and strategies of government agencies for developing the country's export potential.
Mikhail Mishchenko, an expert from DIA, noted the absence of Kazakhstan's stands at the exhibition and emphasized that many other countries actively support their producers at similar events.
"I want to draw attention to the fact that at the exhibition, I saw stands from almost every country, including, of course, Central Asian countries. There was a stand, not just one, from the Republic of Uzbekistan, there was a stand from the Republic of Tajikistan, of course, there was Russia, and Ukraine was also present. But there was no Kazakhstan, no Kyrgyzstan. In this case, as a citizen of Kazakhstan, I am speaking for Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was not there. And what is interesting: I spoke with some people who come to Kazakhstan from other countries, have a certain influence in trade missions, in trading companies. According to them, they invited and even insisted that Kazakhstan support its producers and provide support for export initiatives so that Kazakh producers could be present and have their stands at the Gulfood exhibition. But the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to create its separate Trade Mission right after the end of the Gulfood exhibition," says the expert.
Kazakhstan's plan to conduct a trade mission in Dubai immediately after the exhibition raises questions about the logic and feasibility of such a step. After the main industry players have already concluded their business meetings and contracts at the exhibition, Kazakh entrepreneurs may find themselves in a disadvantageous position, facing limited opportunities and competition.
"The Kazakh trade mission will arrive and sell its goods. Perhaps, they will discuss oil and other things there, but there will also be representatives of agriculture, food producers. And, of course, the sources, people I spoke to, ask me: who will come there at all? Buyers will not come there. The question is: what is the problem with supporting your agricultural producers? I'm not talking about dairy products in Kazakhstan... But grain? Deep processing of grain, some other products. The state does not support its suppliers, its producers, and the export of products is not taken into account at all. If people conduct a trade mission right after the end of the world's largest food exhibition, wh ere no one will come by default, then I have a question: who are these people? How do they make decisions, and what are these decisions based on?" questions Mikhail Mishchenko.
The planned trade mission in Dubai, according to organizers' statements, will cover various industries, including IT and oil service companies. However, despite the broad spectrum of represented sectors, the question of how effectively resources and opportunities will be used to promote agricultural and food industry products remains open. Such actions raise certain doubts and questions about the transparency of the motives and strategies of government agencies for developing the country's export potential.
