Official country pavilions from Iran, Jordan, Netherlands and Turkey
Agro Pack & Iraq plastprintpack 2021 opens its doors from 23-26 November 2021 at the Erbil International Fairground, and a total of 165 exhibitors from 9 countries present a broad spectrum of the entire agrofood & plastprintpack value chain.
As such, Agro Pack & Iraq plastprintpack 2021 is the largest industry-specific event in Iraq.
The trade show is organized by the leading Turkish organizer So Fuar and the German exhibition specialist fairtrade, with the two organizers pooling the expertise of their teams for the success of the event. So Fuar, in addition to their headquarters in Istanbul, also maintains an office in Erbil, Iraq‘s bustling and safe economic metropolis and the gateway to all of Iraq.
Country pavilions from Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey
In addition to 35 market leaders from Kurdistan and entire Iraq, as well as individual exhibitors from Egypt, Iran, Italy, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, official country pavilions are present from Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
47 Iranian companies will showcase their products and solutions in the official Iranian pavilion, supported by the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran. The Jordan Pavilion is organised by the Jordan Exporters Association and features 7 exhibitors.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is organizing a Netherlands Lounge featuring 8 Dutch exhibitors. In collaboration with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Erbil and at the request of participating companies, matchmaking will be provided during the exhibition days.
A large Turkish pavilion with 70 exhibitors is supported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Trade. The impressive presentation is rounded off with a lounge that invites Turkish exhibitors and their Iraqi customers to the network.
Exhibitors and their solutions and products according to value chain
15% of the exhibitors offer products and solutions in the Agro, plant & animal production sector. 20% in Food & beverage processing technology and Food ingredients. 20% in Finished food & drink products. 20% in Plastics raw material & technology and 25%in Packaging material & technology.
Iraq: Decent trade surplus expected for 2021
With exports of hydrocarbons worth US$ 34.3 billion and imports worth US$ 30.7 billion, Iraq is expected to achieve a decent trade surplus of US$ 3.7 billion in 2021. The GDP is expected to grow by 1.1% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022. (GTAI, May 2021)
Another important fact: With 41 million inhabitants, Iraq is the most populous Arab country in the Middle East. Its population is expected to grow to 71 million by 2050. With 58% of the population younger than 25, the country has an enormously young and aspiring population.
Agro Pack Iraq Erbil covers the entire value chain from field to fork, consisting of:
Iraq agro + poultry
Interestingly, Iraq is the Middle East’s second-largest importer of agricultural machinery. Right after Saudi Arabia and well before Iran and the UAE. (VDMA)
And Iraqi Kurdistan’s poultry industry has dramatically increased over the past five years. There are now 2,000 chicken farms in the Kurdistan Region, producing nearly 190 tons of meat annually. Iraq is the main buyer of Kurdistan’s chicken. Annually, Kurdistan Region’s businessmen and companies buy at least 100-130 thousand tons of live chickens from Kurdistan’s farms and send them to the rest of Iraq alive. Given an average price of 2,000 dinars for each kilo, the trade is worth US$ 216 million.
Iraq imports chicken from 19 countries, the lion’s share coming from Turkey, Brazil, the USA, and Ukraine, according to official figures from Iraq’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Iraq food + bev tec
Between 2015 and 2019, Iraq’s imports of food & beverage process & packaging technology increased with an annual growth rate of 17.5%, from € 76 million to € 145 million. (VDMA) This makes Iraq the third-largest Arab importing country of such technologies in the Middle East. A clear signal of the political will to expand local food production and the „Made-in-Iraq“-trend. Continuous growth is expected in the coming years.
Iraq food ingredients
With 41 million inhabitants, Iraq has long been one of the three largest food markets in the Arab world, after Egypt and on an equal footing with Algeria. Expenditure in the F&B sector is growing steadily, and F&B production is by far the largest segment of the Iraqi processing industry. Accordingly, the demand for food and beverage ingredients is rising continuously.
Iraq food + hospitality
Iraq regularly imports US$ six to eight billion worth of food and agricultural products annually. The value of food production in Iraq amounts to between US$ three to four billion. (FAOSTAT). This makes Iraq one of the largest markets for food & beverage products in the Middle East – still undersupplied. The development is extremely promising.
Iraq plastprintpack to grow at market speed
For Iraq plastprintpack 2021, the organizers expect the event to grow at a market growth rate, and this is truly remarkable as the following facts show.
- Since all plastics raw materials are imported, mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Europe, the Iraqi market has great potential for commodity exporters. Between 2007 and 2017, the import of plastic raw materials grew by 37% annually, from 9 kt to 210 kt, a plus of one thousand percent! The country’s plastic consumption shows an annual growth of 29% over the same period. It has grown 16-fold from 15 kt in 2009 to 249 kt in 2018 and is estimated at 404 kt in 2022. (EUROMAP)
- Between 2015 and 2019, Iraq’s imports of plastics technology increased with an annual growth rate of 16.7%, from € 21 million to € 39 million. (VDMA) This makes Iraq the third largest Arab importing country of such technology in the Middle East. Continuous growth is expected in the coming years.
- Iraq is also an important buyer of printing & paper converting technology in the Arab Middle East. From 2017 to 2019, Iraq’s printing & paper technology imports increased by 30%, from € 5 to € 11 million. (VDMA)
- Between 2015 and 2019, Iraq’s imports of packaging technology increased with an annual growth rate of 26%, from € 31 million to € 78 million. (VDMA) This makes Iraq the third largest Arab importing country of such technology in the Middle East.
