Dynamic Turkey is the perfect food hub

THE international flavour of GIDA, the International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition in Istanbul (www.ite-gida.com), is the result of the independent and ever-growing agricultural sector in Turkey. The sector has been Turkey's largest employer and major contributor to the country's GDP, exports and industrial growth. The geographical location of Turkey presents the country a very advantageous situation in international trade. Turkey's proximity to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia provides an easy access to large markets through the Black Sea to the north, the Aegean Sea to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Owing to its favourable climatic and ecological conditions, Turkey has the means to dominate world trade in many traditional agricultural products. As a country of agricultural origin whose agricultural output shows significant increases every year and with the wide range of product profile of the show, GIDA 2010 - 18th edition of this highly successful food products and processing technologies exhibition to be held from 23rd to 26th September in Istanbul - will be again the center of interest in the region. The product profile of the fair includes milk and dairy products, confectionery and chocolate, meat products, food additives, alcoholic beverage, soft drink, tea and coffee, frozen food, canned food, natural and organic goods, vegetable oils, olives, flour- based foods and pastas, spices, pulse, dried fruit, fresh fruit and vegetables, jams, honey, molasses, halvah and industrial food product service and equipment. Success in the past In 2009, the 17th International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition attracted great attention, having been attended by over 400 domestic and foreign companies. Organised with the support of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry for Foreign Trade, KOSGEB- Small and Medium Size Industry Development Organisation, TGDF- Federation of Food & Drink Industry Associations of Turkey, and TUGIDER- All Food Importers Association, the fair hosted a total number of 41,410 professional visitors of whom 2,510 were foreign professional visitors. GIDA 2009, which provided an opportunity for the setting up of commercial and strategic co-operation between the food manufacturers and buyers, brought the leaders of the sector together again and proved once more that it is the largest and most international food and processing technologies event in Turkey. Buyer delegations from 20 countries were hosted. These trade visitor groups at GIDA were Austria, Germany, Belarus, Bulgaria, Algeria, Morocco, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Sultanate of Oman, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Greece, the USA, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Belgium, South Africa, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Jordan. In addition to country delegations, retailers such as Alfa Supermarkets from Greece, Metro Cash&Carry markets from Morocco, Euro Atlantic market chain from Malaysia and purchasing agents of Fortune Food Marketing from Singapore also visited the exhibition. Amongst the foreign exhibitor countries at the exhibition were the USA, Portugal, hMalaysia, Kosovo, Syria, Iran, China, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Macedonia, the UAE, Korea, India, Hong Kong, the UK, Croatia and Thailand. The participating foreign associations at the fair were Sri Lanka Tea Board- Sri Lanka, Southern United States Association -the USA, Halal Industry Development Corp, Matrade -Malaysia, Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council-India. An agricultural production map of Turkey shows its rich and diverse food resources (Turkish Rural and AgriculturaNew Balance Womens Shoes