World meat industry news

Cherkizovo Group, Russia’s largest meat producer, was an exhibitor at Gulfood 2021, an international trade show held in Dubai. During the event, the Company met with Middle Eastern businessmen to discuss the prospect of boosting poultry supplies once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Gulfood 2021 took place in Dubai, UAE, on February 21–25. It was this year’s first offline event bringing together food companies from around the world. The Russian delegation was led by Sergey Levin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, and included representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Russian Export Center, VEB.RF, industry associations and more than 30 food and agricultural businesses.

Cherkizovo Group had its own information stand in the Russian Export Center's section. A detailed catalog of its poultry products was available via a touch screen that also enabled visitors to submit requests and receive on-spot consultations.

Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture and the Russian Export Center arranged a series of meetings on the sidelines to put major Middle Eastern businesses in contact with potential suppliers from the country. At the meetings attended by leaders of the Americana Group (Kuwait Food Company), Majid Al Futtaim (the operator of Carrefour stores in the region), Al Tayeb and the Arabian Peninsula’s other top players, Cherkizovo Group gave an overview of the opportunities that its products could unlock for food processors, restaurants and retail chains in the UAE and its neighboring countries.

Regulators in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf nations have already certified Cherkizovo Group products for compliance with their quality, safety and halal requirements. In 2020, the Company dispatched trial shipments to the region's food service providers, but the pandemic lockdown dealt a serious blow to the HoReCa segment and had a heavy toll on consumption. Further cooperation amid the gradual lifting of restrictions and recovery in demand was the key focus of discussions at Gulfood 2021.

“With its strong demand for poultry products, over 50% of which is met by imports, the Middle East remains one of the most promising markets for Russian poultry. During the talks held at Gulfood 2021, local distributors and processors reiterated their keen interest in these products. Cherkizovo Group’s strategy of increasing the share of exports in its total sales will cater to that perfectly,” said Andrei Terekhin, Head of Industry Unions and Government Relations at Trading Company Cherkizovo. 

This year saw the 26th Gulfood trade show, with Russia participating for the sixth time. Being the world's largest and most influential food and beverage trade exhibition, Gulfood draws in more than 5,000 companies and over 97,000 visitors from 185 countries annually.