According to the estimation of the World Bank, Asia will account for 70% of the global consumption of edible fishes until 2030. With the increase of demand and the continuous change of Asian consumers’ reference, Seafood Expo Asia will focus on industrial development trend of Asian seafood this year.
One report released by Global Industry Analysts in 2014 stated that although, on demand side, Asian-Pacific region was not the biggest and fastest growing market in the world, its average compound annual growth rate would reach 5% from now to 2020. The main driving force of the demand increase is owing to the rise of middle class. According to statistics by Ernst&Young SKOLKOVO, the middle class population in 2013 was more than 0.5 billion, but it would be up to 3 billion in the following 20 years.
Liz Plizga, the vice president of seafood exposition department of Diversified Communications, the sponser of Seafood Expo Asia, said, “middle class is continuing to expand while they obtain the consumption ability towards high-value commodities and products, including high-end fish and shell fish aquatic products. Asian market is playing a more and more important role in the global seafood market.”
He added, “With the improvement of incomes and life quality, plus the increasing popularization of foreign food culture, consumers focus more and more on the taste and quality, especially the consumers in China and Southeast Asia. Local economic growth brings positive influence on the seafood import. It becomes the target market of many high-end seafood producers and importers.”
Seafood buyers have the chance to practice face-to-face talk with more than 240 suppliers from more than 30 countries, and purchase the aquatic products satisfying clients’ tastes, including abalone, corbicula, weever, crab, shrimp, salmon, crayfish, mussel, lobster, cod and oyster of different species.
Seafood Expo Asia also offers special services for key buyers. The procurers who carry out high-volume purchasing will enjoy multiple courteous reception and services, including enjoying the facilities in the rest room, using the conference room to carry out business meetings, and joining the trade matching project.
The three straight days’ expo will carry out series of activities. Visitors can enjoy the cooking skill demonstration and attend communication activities and symposiums held in the exhibition hall.
Besides, another highlight, the new product exhibition hall, shouldn’t be missed. In last three years, there were already more than 220 new packaged seafood, seasoning and seafood delicacies making their debut in the exhibition hall.
“With the continuous increase of life pace, many Asian consumers are inclined to choose ready-to-eat food because of its convenience and efficiency,” Liz Plizga said. He also mentioned that the increasing popularity of instant food and demand of higher-value seafood in Asian market would bring more business opportunities to the food producers, who can choose matching fish and seafood to create different innovative dishes and develop more instant foods to suit local people’s taste.
