SANTIAGO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The aroma of fruits, grilled meat and the intense flavors of candies filled the air of the agri-foods Espacio Food & Service fair this week.
The fair, one of the most important exhibitions in the agri-food industry of Chile, attracted over 400 exhibitors from 20 countries and brought together products providers, public organizations and professionals from the industry, according to the event director Andres Ilabaca.
About 40 Chinese businesses displayed their best products at the fair, trying to get a share of the Latin American marketplace.
Among them was the Shaanxi Co-op Enterprise Group, which is dedicated to the production and export of agricultural foods and one of world's most important vendors of kiwifruit.
The geography of northwest China's Shaanxi Province is very similar to that of Chile, and these are the spots where soy or fruits are produced, said Wu Jingyuan, general manager of the group.
"Our company produces many products and we export products such as kiwifruit and tea to the entire world," he said.
Wu said that Chile's positive view of globalization helps China and emphasized that the geographical distance between the two countries is not a problem.
"Chile is a country with a very prosperous agricultural industry and there are many production techniques. It is very valuable for us to study from them," he said.
At the fair, the caramel candies from the Chinese company Fujian Fuhua Foods Co., Ltd, were on prominent display. The company is looking to introduce its product to the South American country.
Zheng Yi, one of the company's representatives, told Xinhua that many of their products cannot be found in Chile and they are eager to change that, for example, by including gum with added vitamins.
"We always take part in exhibitions outside the country to explore international markets," Zheng said.
The products displayed by the company at the fair included hard candy, mints and peanut butter which are exported to Indonesia, Singapore, Yemen and Sudan, Zheng said.
More than 1,200 meetings were held and valuable agreements were made, said Jorge O'Ryan, director of ProChile, an official agency dedicated to promoting Chilean exports.
