INTERBEV in Egypt
Reception at the French Ambassador’s Residence in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture. A Gathering of the Egyptian and the French key actors in the meat and livestock industry
The Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Dr. Adel El-Beltagy attended the reception as a guest of honor. A delegation of INTERBEV’s representatives as well as French exporters of livestock and meat travelled to Cairo for this occasion, such as Mr. Emmanuel Bernard, President of the Foreign Trade Commission, and representative of Mr. Dominique Langlois, INTERBEV’s President. They met with the Egyptian importers and distributors of meat and livestock as well as representatives of the Egyptian Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Trade.
HE the Minister of Agriculture declared that he wishes to « strongly establish a stable and sustainable flow of business and relationships between both countries. » Concerning the French products, His Excellency said: « France has distinctive and inimitable products in terms of quality and taste. Anyone who tastes these products can’t do anything but appreciate! »
As for HE the French Ambassador, he stated that « the economic and political situation in Egypt stabilizes and allows considering new business opportunities, notably for the meat products and French livestock farming. » Emmanuel Bernard declared that « the opening of the Egyptian market for cattle for fattening and the recent approval of 12 French slaughterhouses by Egyptian veterinary authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, (…) offer a tremendous opportunity for our two countries to successfully develop a new win/win business flow, which is also stable and durable. »
After speeches, Eric Leboeuf, butcher & Best Worker in France, showed how to cut meat “à la française » in front of the guests. Moreover, Mrs. Laila Ibrahim, soloist at the Cairo Opera House, performed popular tunes from the French and the Egyptian repertoires.
This event is an illustration of the desire of creating business relationships between French exporters of red meat and cattle and Egyptian importers. It has been proved that the local production is insufficient to meet the demand and, thus, Egypt imports large quantities of meat and live cattle (in 2013, nearly 329,000 tons of beef, mostly frozen, and the equivalent of €36 million live cattle – GTA source).
France has the largest cattle population in Europe, with 19 million heads. Furthermore, it can offer more choices in terms of races: 24 in total. These French cattle are exported to over 40 countries around the world, including many countries surrounding the Mediterranean, such as Algeria and Turkey. France also exports 1.25 million cattle each year, so it has a great experience in exporting. In terms of meat, France is the sixth largest producer of beef with 1.2 million tons of meat produced each year, 240,000 tons of which are exported yearly. French slaughterhouses meet European high standards (the highest environmental and health quality standards as well as in animal welfare). In addition to that, French companies have a Halal certificate. To complete the offer, France is Europe’s No. 1 producer of calves intended for slaughter (1.4 million head / year).
About INTERBEV: INTERBEV is the French Interprofessional Association for Livestock and Meat. It was founded in 1979 on the initiative launched by the organizations representing the livestock and meat industry. It reflects the commitment of the livestock professionals (cattle and sheep) to offer consumers healthy, quality products that are identifiable every step of the way. Its role is to defend and valorize the mutual interests of stock-breeding and craft, industrial and commercial activities in this sector which is among the most important economic activities in France. For more information: www.la-viande.fr / www.interbev.fr