Jun 15, 2022
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA -- USA Rice exhibited here last week at the 11th Alimentec Fair. Alimentec, a biannual trade show, is the leading platform for the food, beverage, and hospitality industry in the Andean Region, the Caribbean, and Latin America, and typically attracts more than 25,000 visitors from 30 countries.
USA Rice has exhibited at this event since 2018. Dozens of trade leads were collected and will be shared with membership.
“During the show, we hosted a visit by the new U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Francisco Palmieri,” said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of western hemisphere promotions. “It was a great opportunity to talk to him about U.S. rice and how Colombia has really grown into a top market for our exports.”
In addition to exhibiting at Alimentec, USA Rice also conducted a rice seminar for 90 professional foodservice chefs to teach them how to cook with U.S. rice and about the many benefits derived from incorporating it on restaurant menus. The instructor, Chef Daniel Riveros, talked about how rice fits into current food trends, shared U.S. rice brands, and prepared a rice dish for seminar attendees. Participants completed a survey to assess the impact of the training and determine their willingness to use U.S. rice in their establishments.
Colombia is a top ten market for U.S. rice, bringing in nearly 80,000 tons ($28 million) in the first four months of this year.
Two auctions for duty-free U.S. rice have been held thus far this year, with all 103,747 tons successfully auctioned off – a stark contrast to last year that saw only 12,800 tons of U.S. rice enter the market. The final auction for 18,938 tons of U.S. rice (milled rice equivalent) will be held on October 6.