Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 24
By Anvar Mammadov – Trend:
Azerbaijani producer of canned fruits and vegetables, Brightman BMC company, aims to expand its geography of exports, the founder and director of the company Afet Ahmadova told Trend Aug. 24.
She noted that today the company already exports its products to Russia, where it partners with two suppliers.
"In Russia, our products are already present in all major retail chains. In addition, we have already signed a contract for the supply of our products to Ukraine. Currently, we are also negotiating with suppliers from the United States - the main agreements have already been reached, now we are working on the development of labels," Ahmadova said.
The director of the company noted that the priority task of the company is to enter the markets of the Persian Gulf countries, as well as northern and central Europe.
"First of all, the target countries for us are the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Then we intend to enter the markets of such countries as Switzerland and Norway. We are doing serious work in this direction, because these countries do not have their own extensive fruit and vegetable base. We hope that we will have strong positions in the markets of Russia, Ukraine and the USA by the end of the year. In other directions, we also intend to start deliveries before the end of the year," Ahmadova said.
Touching upon the company's products, she stressed that the concept of the products is a healthy diet without the use of any preserving agents, flavoring agent, artificial coloring agents or chemical additives which are usually used in the food industry.
"All fruits and vegetables used in production are of perfect quality, grown in Azerbaijan, are absolutely natural and do not contain pesticides or other dangerous elements. Our portfolio of products promotes old and traditional recipes of national cuisine, but the packaging and design of the products are all up-to-date. The portfolio is divided into vegetable snacks, fruit and vegetable sauces, marmalade, jams and fruit-based baby foods. One of the main features of our production process is completely manual production. The production process is not automated," she explained.
Ahmadova added that the company's products are of premium grade and successfully sold under the brand name ZIRA Natural & Gourmet both in Azerbaijan and outside the country.
"The main goal of the company is to present Azerbaijani products all over the world and to give other nations an opportunity to try and appreciate the unique gastronomic culture of our country. For this purpose, tasting events are held in many cities of Russia and other countries, where the people can taste delicious products of Azerbaijani cuisine. The company actively participates in all export missions and exhibitions held abroad with the support of AZPROMO (Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation) and the Ministry of Economy," she said.
The director of the company added that today the volume of production of Brightman BMC company is 250,000 cans a year.
"However, the company has a capacity to manufacture one million cans per year," Ahmadova said.