Five Brunei food and beverage (F&B) businesses recently showcased their locally-developed products at the ASEAN Trade Fair 2022 to explore new market opportunities and potential partnerships.
Taurean Bakeshop & Cafe, Sabli Food Industries (B) Sdn Bhd, Volco Venture, Bruhouse Sdn Bhd, and Mori Farm were selected to represent Brunei, facilitated by Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) in collaboration with the Brunei Darussalam Embassy in Korea (ROK) and the fair organiser, the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC).
This year’s ASEAN Trade Fair from June 7 to June 10 at the Korea International Exhibition Centre (KINTEX) in Ilsan, was held as part of the Seoul Food and Hotel (SFH) 2022.
In addition to interacting with prospective business partners throughout the fair from their booths, the Brunei businesses also had one-on-one meetings with potential clients to explore linkages for exportation.
The Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Korea Pengiran Hajah Nooriyah binti Pengiran Lela Wijaya Pengiran Haji Yussof said participation is timely as activity picks up in the post-COVID-19 pandemic economic landscape.
“The trade fair this year is significant as it is the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that our micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are able to participate in person and gain firsthand insight on the South Korean market,” said Pengiran Hajah Nooriyah.
“Looking ahead, the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Seoul will continue to work closely with the AKC and other stakeholders in the ROK, as well as the government and agencies of Brunei to provide more initiatives to strengthen the capacity of our MSMEs towards successful penetration into the market.”
Participating businesses said the event provided valuable feedback and market validation for them to incorporate as they look to fulfil their export aspirations.
Natural food and health supplement producer Bruhouse said the expo has helped restart international exposure for their halal-certified products.
“By participating in this trade fair, we hope to achieve our target to export our products to the South Korea market,” said Bruhouse General Manager Joseph E Folloso.
“We’re able to better understand the needs of the international consumers for us to improve and make our products more competitive for international distributors and importers.”
Meanwhile Mori Farm, which grows and processes organic herbs and produce, said feedback from the fair would factor in their product development.
“We’re able to test market sentiment in the international arena. It gives us experience in understanding what to expect and how to improve our products for the South Korean market,” said Mori Farm founder Lim Jun Hong.
DARe Market Access Unit representative Nurul Hafezah binti Md Faisal Al-Sufri, who accompanied the Brunei businesses, said participants would continue to receive support towards exporting.
“Our presence at the ASEAN Trade Fair 2022 event allowed for immediate business facilitation and negotiations between the Brunei vendors and the international exhibitors,” said Nurul Hafezah.
“It is important for us to maximise opportunities such as with the ASEAN Trade Fair to create partnerships and viable, serious leads. This in turn will allow Brunei MSMEs to obtain a foothold in Asia.”
