The ‘Siberian Food Products’ exhibition took place in Sibexpocentre

On April 25-28 in Sibexpocentre Exhibition Complex the most tasty and flavoured ‘Siberian Food Products’ exhibition of spring took place.

More than 85 companies from Irkutsk and Irkutsk Region, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, Omsk, Krasnodar, Barnaul, Buryatia, Mongolia, Belarus, China and Korea participated in the event. They demonstrated the wide range of the most tasty production, various food novelties and also modern technologies and achievements in food and processing industries.

The exhibition programme by tradition was filled with both business and entertaining events. On the first day there was the ‘Products of Angara Region’ regional holiday in which the companies which received the right of use of the ‘Products of Angara Region’ trademark took part. The event took place for the first time, was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture of Irkutsk Region for image and competitiveness promotion of production of local producers, protection of the regional market against less qualitative imported production, stimulation of development of high-quality food production from local agricultural raw materials. Within the holiday visitors of the exhibition could get tasty and fresh products, took part in tastings, saw a set of vocal and dancing performances and also participated in draws and competitions.

On April 26 there was the round table on the current topic ‘Regional producers and retail chain stores will take place: how the interaction is built’ which organiser was the Eastern Siberia publishing house. As the main goal of the event, the organisers identified the establishment of dialogue and more clear relations between producers and networks.

- Our ancestors did not need intermediaries between farmers and consumers, but with our rhythm to life they are necessary to us. Such intermediaries are now supermarkets and shops. On the other hand, for modern manufacturers, sales are an extra function that draws the resources, - Vlad Nikiforov, Editor-in-chief of ‘Kommersant’ newspaper in Eastern Siberia said at the beginning of the meeting. The urgency of the topic was supported by Vyacheslav Kozin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Irkutsk Region and Irina Novikova, Head of the Department of Commodity and Financial Markets of OFAS in Irkutsk Region. 

During the round table producers, for their part, told about problems and difficulties which arise when working with networks, shared the experience and asked the most urgent problems. All subtleties and nuances of cooperation from other party were commented by Roman Kovalyov, Specialist in the development of retail networks. He noted also that an alternative in Irkutsk for small and average producers is the ‘Central market’ and city agricultural fairs today and also advised producers to develop marketing and to address directly the end user, using possibilities of the Internet and social networks. 

On the third day of the exhibition the Ministry of Agriculture of Irkutsk Region and Service of the Consumer Market and Licensing of Irkutsk Region carried out the ‘Export of agricultural products of agrarian and industrial complex of Irkutsk Region as a promising sales area’ round table. In his welcome speech Ilya Sumarokov, Minister of Agriculture of Irkutsk Region noted that the direction is really perspective, first, because the region has a unique opportunity - it is the earth, which areas allow to grow up organic products that are environmentally friendly in all respects:

Head of the administrative entity noted that last year export of food in relation to 2016 increased by 30%. The total volume was 2,3 billion rubles or 39 million dollars. Also he emphasised that at the region the number of the partner countries, exporters increases, and it gives hope that, considering geographical competitive advantages, Irkutsk Region will further increase both the volume of production and export volumes.

Besides, on the round table key indicators and objectives of international economic activity development of Irkutsk Region were considered; Maria Kulikova, Head of the Russian export centre in Irkutsk told about measures of support of agroindustrial complex export in the region; export enterprises of agroindustrial complex shared the experience of export deliveries; the rules of conformity of products to the requirements of exporting countries were announced. At the event, the ‘Wholesale Distribution Centre of the Agro-Industrial Cluster of Irkutsk Region’ business plan and the ‘100 Best Goods of Russia’ all-Russian competition were also presented.

The RASKOLBAS festival from Komsomolskaya Pravda publishing house became one more bright event of the exhibition. The event for the second time took place within the ‘Siberian Food Products’ exhibition and pleased guests with various tasty and interesting activities. Master classes from chefs of Irkutsk restaurants opened the programme. They demonstrated several fast and simple recipes of cold dishes from meat and fish. Further the beloved and expected national tasting of fish and meat production from five local producers took place. Guests could not only try, but also vote. For sausage production 4 nominations were introduced: ‘Taste from childhood’, ‘Housekeeper’s dream’, ‘Delicate taste’, ‘Sausage with a twist’. For fish – 3 nominations: ‘Dream of a gourmet’, ‘Just yummy’, ‘For a holiday table’. The holiday came to the end with the spectacular championship on high-speed eating of sausages in which this year there were not three participants as last year but five. Resident of Irkutsk Maksim Ivanov - the permanent participant of the championship became the winner. 

For the first time at the exhibition there was the ‘Krendelyok’ festival of sweets for the whole family. In the festival zone the guests were waited by the fair sale with tasting of confectionery from local and Russian producers. April 28 within the ‘Krendelyok’ festival there was the children's tasting in which 100 children aged from 6 up to 16 years took part. Profiteroles with milk jam and cream, gingerbreads with glaze, ‘Zhuchki’ cookies, pies and cakes, cookie straws and puffs and also sweet drinks, yogurt and honey — all this were tasted by young tasters and voted for the ‘Best sweet’. After counting of votes the finalist was defined, it became the ‘Beryozka’ confectionery from Ulan-Ude for ‘Red Velvet’ cake. The winner received the certificate on advertising from the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper and also the certificate granting the right to receive an exhibition space on ‘Siberian Food Products’ exhibition in 2019.

Also within the exhibition there was the ‘Irkutsk Novelty’ closed tasting competition. The event is annual and promotes advance of high-quality food and drinks on the regional market, introduction of highly effective production technologies of food with use of qualitative, environmentally friendly raw materials. This year 16 enterprises presented 37 product samples to commission of experts among which there were dairy products, meat semi-finished products, fish products, confectionery, bread and various drinks.

The results of the ‘Irkutsk Novelty’ competition were announced at the closing ceremony of the exhibition. As a result, 30 samples of products of food and processing industry enterprises of Angara region received a gold medal, 6 - silver, and also 1 diploma for participation in the competition was handed.

In addition, at the closing ceremony, the results of the best exhibitor competition were summarized. Vyacheslav Kozin, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Irkutsk Region congratulated participants and visitors of the ‘Siberian Food Products’ exhibition on the successful event:

Irina Remezova, Head of the Department of Food, Processing Industry and Sales of the Ministry of Agriculture of Irkutsk Region also congratulated all audience on completion of the exhibition, thanked for the support of the ‘Irkutsk Novelty’ competition and wished success in further work.

In continuation of the official closing ceremony, Olesya Vasilchenko, Head of the Exhibitions’ Organisation Department of Sibexpocentre OJSC made a speech. She handed out letters of gratitude to Ilya Sumarokov, Vyacheslav Kozin and Irina Remezova.

Then the most active participants were handed gold and silver stars and also diplomas of Sibexpocentre. The highest award — GRAND PRIX of the exhibition were awarded: Sayansky Broiler LLC, Belorechenskoe agricultural PJSC.

Gold stars of the exhibition were received by: IP Sharpinskaya Olga Vladimirovna, Plant of Food of Irkutsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise, Children's Dairy Kitchen branch of the Plant of Food of Irkutsk Municipal Unitary Enterprise, Irkutsk Bakery Plant CJSC, Yanta group of companies.

Silver stars of the exhibition were awarded: Sarsenbayev LLC, Drozdyuk F. V. individual entrepreneur, Ziminskie Kolbasy trade mark, Helios JSC of Federal State Budgetary Institution Irkutsk Interregional Veterinary Laboratory, Irkutskaya Forel LLC.