SIALY exhibition ends today

The third edition of the International Agribusiness Fair SIALY ends today. Exhibitors are counting proceeds while event organisers are drawing their balance sheets.

The International Agribusiness Exhibition, SIALY, which ends today April 27, 2015 has been running for six days. Individuals, common initiative groups, small and medium-size enterprises, public and private enterprises, companies and government ministries, showcased their products with Yaounde inhabitants visiting, discovering, buying and making contacts.

By midday Saturday April 24, 2015 the place was awash with visitors, conspicuous among the many visitors spotted at SIALY at the Yaounde City Hall was the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industry, Dr Taïga.

The over 90 stands filled with over 200 exhibitors remained constantly crammed throughout the fair days. But what interested exhibitors was sealing deals with partners.

To many, especially those who were involved in the processing of foodstuff, selling their products was far from their objective.

Gilbert Ngnameko, the Executive Managing Director of Dryer Sarl, a Douala-based outfit for the production, processing, commercialisation and conservation of fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, banana, plantain and scented plants, saw in SIALY, like other fairs he has attended, an avenue to establish direct funding partnership with enterprises.

Operating a small and medium-size enterprise can be head-spinning, especially at a time when securing a loan in commercial banks is almost a cul-de-sac.

He complained that efforts to expand his business have remained futile in spite of his wealth of experience in food technology research, processing fruits into dried paste/sweets used for icing and decoration in bakeries, amongst other things. His company uses ginger for instance in drinks in packaged forms as well as pepper.

The Buea-based SOYACONIA, like Dryer Sarl, also attracted crowds at SIALY.

With its processed pasteurized garri, ginseng and ginger roots, moringa oleifera and the Soyaconia balanced diet made of soya bean, moringa, milk, carrot, beetroot and cocoa, SOYACONIA’s Derek S. Doh says SIALY is like building his capacity.

With the recent acquisition of machines from South Africa, his company is ready to establish business contacts to any level for supply to meet demand, he promised. Dory Food, a small business entity specialised in dry foods and vegetables is counting proceeds.

The stand attendant was quick to note to Cameroon Tribune that on the eve of the end of the exhibition that SIALY, like many other fairs, offer business opportunities. The association of Buyam-Sellam were well represented at a stand, proposing well-selected food items to customers and visitors.