Report Date: February 2018
With USDA Market Access Program (MAP) funding assistance from United States Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE), DATCP's International Agribusiness Center led six Wisconsin livestock and livestock genetics businesses on a trade mission to exhibit at the VIV-Middle East Trade show in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, followed by a visit to Qatar to meet with government officials, local dairy producers, and businesses.
The outcome of the mission was extremely positive, with participating companies reporting aggregate export sales of more than $5.3 million within three months of the trip, including 3,100 U.S. dairy pregnant heifers exported from Wisconsin, Kansas, and New York to a dairy operator in Qatar. One of the participating companies that reported increased export sales in the wake of the trade mission said they had never exported to this market before and wouldn't have traveled to the region to explore the potential export opportunity without this organized and funded activity due to the cost and unfamiliarity of the market.
While there, Wisconsin trade mission participants met with local and regional producers and business representatives in the Middle East and customers from other regions, including India, Pakistan, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. The Wisconsin companies had one-on-one meetings with potential buyers, and local media visted the Wisconsin booth at the trade show to highlight products from Wisconsin and USLGE, which was broadcasted.
Participating Wisconsin companies also received a briefing presentation on importing into Qatar by the U.S. Commercial Office in Doha, visited Qatarian dairy businesses, and established contacts with Qatar counterparts. Wisconsin and other U.S. participants represented a wide variety of products, including cattle, genetics, feed, equipment, and training.
Prior to the visit to Qatar, trade mission organizers met with staff from the U.S. Commerical Office in Doha, and the USDA-Foreign Agriculture Service, Dubai Office to arrange business visits, match-making meetings with local dairy producers and businesses, and meetings with government officials to learn about import requirements. Briefings provided by these two offices also helped participants gain an understanding of business practices and environment in the country.
These great connections, along with the market knowledge acquired from the visit, are sure to help the U.S. suppliers to enter and succeed in the Middle East livestock markets.