OREANDA-NEWS. December 01, 2009. Almaty hosted the 12th Central Asian International Food Industry Exhibition – World Food Kazakhstan 2009.

The event featured 154 exhibitors from 29 countries, covering all aspects of the food industry, including food, drinks, agriculture, technology, ingredients and packaging. There were also a number of national groups at the exhibition from Germany, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania and Kyrgyzstan. In total, 3193 visitors attended the exhibition.

Every year, World Food Kazakhstan offers participants the opportunity to watch and take part in various events. The tasting competition, The Best Product, featured 93 companies competing for 25 prizes. Products featured included sausages, mayonnaise, pasta, flour, alcoholic drinks, pastry and, for the first time, peanut butter. There were also a number of workshops and other events, including a meeting arranged by the Dutch Poultry Centre between Dutch suppliers of poultry-keeping equipment and Kazakhstani businessmen.

Tony Higginson, Event Director, comments, “We were very pleased with this year’s show. There is a great deal of movement in the food industry at the moment and it is clear that both domestic and international companies are keen to remain up-to-date with the latest developments. Feedback from our exhibitors was also extremely positive and 38% have already booked their stands for next year’s show”.

In his welcome letter, Akhmetzhan Yesimov from the Almaty City Akim explained the significance of World Food Kazakhstan for the country’s food industry: “During the last few years, the exhibition has become a platform to demonstrate new technologies and services, and promote the exchange of experience and ideas. It is a place to sign contracts and hold meetings with potential partners, distributors and buyers. More importantly, as competition in the domestic market grows, the exhibition helps to establish a dialogue between companies, potential investors and ministries, relevant agencies and governments from various countries”.