The vice president of the Regional Government of Madeira has agreed to double or triple the investment for the participation of regional companies in the International Salon of the Food and Beverage Sector (SISAB Portugal), anticipating the presence in 2020 of the sectors of embroidery and flowers.
“In the future, the investment in 2019 have to be doubled or tripled, because the size and presence in a fair like this is highly profitable”, Pedro Calado told reporters after visiting the Madeira pavilion in SISAB Portugal, which runs until tomorrow at the Altice Arena in Lisbon.
Madeira has for the first time an official representation at this international fair through Invest Madeira, a structure under the vice-presidency of the Regional Government, although regional companies have been present since the first edition.
“Next year we have to bring other areas that are not represented, in addition to drinks and fruits, we have to complement with Madeira embroidery and also flowers, two areas that also characterize regional economic activity”, announced Pedro Calado.
For the regional vice-president, SISAB Portugal provides a “very large commercial dynamic for very expressive markets”.
“Just look at the eastern presence to realize the importance of the number of consumers. Therefore, any investment that is made here is small, compared with the return that can be had in the future”, he said.
Pedro Calado illustrated that the largest export share of Coral beers is currently China, “a distant market, difficult to access and intrude”.
“We have done a great job of conquering a market that has millions and millions of consumers. Our logic has never been of quantities, we have no scale for it, it is a logic that seeks much more quality and a differentiated product, genuine, with our characteristics”, he maintained.
The so-called “diaspora market” is also significant, he pointed out, underscoring that there are about one million of people from madeira residing outside the region, only in the first generation.
In this 24th edition – SISAB Portugal – which is considered the biggest export event in the Portuguese agrifood sector, receives around 500 exhibiting companies and over 1600 buyers from 130 countries.
