Mauritania joins Food Africa with fresh produce on display
The country aims to attract new markets and investors as it showcases a diverse range of crops at the Cairo trade show.
EGYPT – Mauritania has made its first appearance at the tenth edition of the Food Africa trade show running from December 9 to 12 in Cairo, Egypt.
The pavilion will highlight the country’s ambition to become a key supplier of fresh produce and expand its reach to more markets and investors.
Aichetou Taffa, director of agricultural investment and export promotion at the National Society for Rural Development (Sonader), says the delegation includes eight exhibitors in addition to Sonader itself. “We have striven to ensure a fairly diverse representation in terms of company size, of location, covering more agricultural regions of Mauritania, but also in terms of production, which encompasses more products compared to the international trade shows we have participated in previously,” she explains.
Mauritania will present its flagship fresh produce such as watermelons and melons alongside vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, potatoes, zucchini, and chili peppers. “These are products with strong export potential in the African market,” Taffa adds. She notes that the African market complements Europe and offers advantages like fast connectivity and short transit times to major ports. Demand for early vegetables, potatoes, onions, and chilis is particularly strong.
Expanding beyond Africa
Food Africa also draws visitors from the Middle East and Asia, offering an opportunity to promote Mauritania’s products to new buyers. “We want to present them with the Mauritanian alternative, which is highly credible and effective for products such as herbs for the Middle East or peanuts for Asian markets, already in production on Mauritanian soil, or soft fruits soon,” Taffa says.
Beyond market promotion, Sonader aims to strengthen institutional ties with its Egyptian counterparts. “Egypt is an inspiration for us, with a thriving agricultural sector, intensive production, and strong export capabilities, advantages that we hope to achieve in our country. Alongside promoting the exhibiting companies, it will also be an opportunity to meet institutional actors in Egypt and learn from their experience,” she notes.
Taffa also highlights the pavilion’s role in attracting investment. “This is a good opportunity to promote Mauritania’s fresh produce industry to Egyptian producers and attract investors. More and more Egyptian producers are already knocking on our door and want to work in our country. Our role at Sonader is to support them,” she concludes.
Food Africa 2025 Draws More Participants
The Cairo-based event is experiencing growing interest, with more than 1,200 exhibitors from 45 countries expected, up from 1,000 exhibitors from 35 countries in 2024. Co-founder Dalia Kabeel says the fair focuses on fresh produce, dates, grains, and processed foods.
“We also anticipate strong international participation focused on fresh produce. We are expecting a large delegation from Europe, the GCC countries, and Eastern Europe visiting to source fresh produce from Food Africa, and plenty of business meetings to be concluded,” she says.
A new Buy From Africa campaign will feature an African pavilion supported by Afreximbank, providing a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase products and connect with buyers.
Egypt’s date sector will also be highlighted through the Dates Africa sub-fair, reflecting the country’s position as a leading producer and exporter.
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