The 2015 edition of SIALY has ended in Yaounde with exhibitors expressing satisfaction.
Curtains on the third edition of the International Agribusiness Exhibition, SIALY, dropped yesterday April 27, 2015, with exhibitors expressing satisfaction with the business contacts sealed. For six days, individuals, common initiative groups, small and medium-size enterprises, public and private enterprises, companies and government ministries, showcased their activities and products with Yaounde inhabitants visiting, discovering, buying and making contacts. By midday yesterday, event organisers were at work, putting final data together with focus on where things went wrong as they look forward to SIALY 2017.
The over 90 stands filled with over 200 exhibitors remained constantly crammed throughout the fair days. But what interested exhibitors was sealing deals with partners. To many, especially those involved in the processing of food stuff, selling their products was far from their objective. Gilbert Ngnameko, the Executive Managing Director of Dryer Sarl, a Douala-based outfit for the production, processing, conservation and commercialisation of fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, banana, plantain and scented plants, saw in SIALY, like other fairs he has attended, an avenue to establish direct funding partnerships with enterprises.
Operating a small and medium-size enterprise can be head-spinning, especially at a time when securing a loan from commercial banks is almost a cul-de-sac. He complained that efforts to expand his business have remained futile in spite of his wealth of experience in food technology research, processing fruits into dried paste/sweets used for icing and decoration in bakeries, amongst other things. His company uses ginger for instant drinks in well-packaged forms as well as pepper. Gilbert Ngnameko rejoiced at the business ventures sealed during SIALY. He however prays for the materialization of the contacts.
The Buea-based SOYACONIA, like Dryer Sarl, attracted crowds at SIALY. With its processed pasteurized garri, ginseng and ginger roots, moringa oleifera and the Soyaconia balanced diet made of soya bean, moringa, milk, carrot, beetroot and cocoa, SOYACONIA’s Derek S. Doh says SIALY has built his capacity. With the recent acquisition of equipment from South Africa, his company has established business contacts for optimal supply. Dory Food, a small business entity specialised in dry foods and vegetables is counting proceeds. The stand attendant was quick to note to Cameroon Tribune that SIALY, like many other fairs, offered business opportunities by liaising with partners.
