Dubai To Become Gateway Of Malaysian Agro-Based Products To Middle East

From Nasriah Darus DUBAI, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Agro bazaar, a one-stop centre for Malaysian fruits and agro-based products, will be opened here in the third quarter of next year. It will also be a trading and distribution hub as well as a gateway of Malaysian fruits and agro-based products to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said. He said the Dubai Agro Bazaar would be the third after Singapore, which was opened in August, and Hong Kong, which would begin operations in the first half of next year. "Just like other agro bazaars, the Dubai Agro Bazaar will sell Malaysian fruits, perishable goods and processed food, besides having a cafeteria serving Malaysian dishes. "The ministry is in the process of identifying the site and is confident of its success with over 5,000 Malaysians residing in the UAE, apart from Indonesians and Filipinos who crave for similar foods like Malaysians," he told Malaysian reporters accompanying him on his working visit here Monday. Ismail Sabri is leading a five-day Agricultural Marketing and Investment Mission (AMIM) starting Monday. The mission is a platform for Malaysian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) entrepreneurs to enhance cooperation in the marketing of agricultural and agro-based products and for Malaysian companies to market their products in Dubai and other Middle East markets. The delegation comprised senior officials from the ministry, the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board, Muda Agricultural Development Authority, Farmers' Organisation Authority, Tekun Nasional, and Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia. Ismail Sabri said although Malaysian agro-based products were gaining acceptance in Middle East, China and Japan, what was worrying the ministry was that there were not enough supplies to meet the demand. On AMIM, Ismail Sabri said he would meet with prospective agents and hold meetings with local entrepreneurs who would become distributors of Malaysian agro-based products in the UAE. -- BERNAMA