Forum Macau | IPIM setting up food distribution center at S. Domingos district

Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) president Jackson Chang has revealed that his institute is planning to set up a Portuguese-speaking countries (PLP) food distribution center at 1 Rua de São Domingos (also know as Rua das Mariazinhas).
The president spoke to the media yesterday after a special meeting of the Permanent Secretariat of China and Portuguese-
Speaking Countries Economic Cooperation Forum (Macau).
He said that participants of the meeting are concerned with the arrangement of exporting foods to mainland China through Macau.
IPIM, he suggested, has been communicating closely with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the authorities that are responsible for quality supervision, inspection and quarantine.
“In the future, the importing of PLP food products into mainland China through Macau involves quality inspections and quarantine issues. Macau will keep in close contact with the quality supervision departments in mainland. Work will be done with the assistance of the Ministry of Commerce in order to allow the importing of PLP food products into mainland through Macau,” he said.
The food distribution center, to be located in the 24-story building that housed GCS in the past, is one of three centers that Forum Macau announced it would be establishing last year, to promote further cooperation strategies between China and the Portuguese-
speaking countries.
The center is forecast to open in late 2017 or at the beginning of 2018, TDM’s Portuguese channel reported.
The Times has spoken to Maria Fernanda Dores from Visão Global, a Portuguese food importer, about the food distribution center.
Ms Dores, who has had a company in Macau for two years now, was born here and saysshe has a sound knowledge of the Chinese and Portuguese taste, which she thinks is important for knowing which products might sell here.
The business owner thinks that the food distribution center is a good idea. “Regarding the center for distribution of products from the Portuguese-speaking countries, I think it’s a good idea. It will be an asset. I think there’s already a venue with similar purposes in the NAPE area. Several companies from Macau showcase their products there,” she said.
Ms Dores also suggested that while it is good for the center to act as a venue to develop business ties, it will be more beneficial if merchants can introduce their products to the local market through this venue as well.
“I think if the center is intended to be a place to develop business ties or for [business] matching purposes, it’s good. But it would be even better if the center is intended for introducing these companies’ products into the market…for showcasing and selling our products, because the center will be located in such a busy area, where so many people pass by every day,” she said. CP/JPL

Portuguese merchant sees opportunity in baby food

Maria Fernanda Dores has said that since she established her company two years ago, she has avoided products that are already being exported to Macau. This prompted her to try selling baby rice.
“Baby rice is a special rice for babies aged at least six months old. It is certified by the European Union, and we will start exporting to Hong Kong, too. The Portuguese government has also held talks with the Chinese government regarding this product. So we hope to be able to export to China as well,” she said.
The merchant believes that the baby rice is a popular product here due to its quality and the fact that it is subject to strict control procedures from its production to the packaging.
“Also because children eat a lot of rice here and we have already been selling it in Macau for a year now,” she stated.
Another product her shop has been selling that is also popular in Macau is cherry liquor, from Óbidos, a small town in Portugal.