The interview this month is with Ali Habaj, secretary general and treasurer, IAOM MEA.
International Association of Operatives Millers Mideast &
Africa District (IAOM MEA) was formed in 1989 and represents flour and feed
millers across the Middle East and Africa. Initially, the district was managed
by rotating host countries, meaning the head office changed from one country to
another. Since 2006, however, there has been a permanent head office in Muscat,
Oman. This has helped to standardise operations and allow the association to
offer more services to both members and the region.
GFMT's Alice Neal
spoke to Ali Habaj, secretary general and treasurer, IAOM MEA, about the association
and milling in the Middle East and Africa.
Habaj is a well suited for a role within IAOM. He has 14
years experience in the milling industry and is the full time CEO of the Atyab
Investments Group which manages many firms in the food industries. The
portfolio includes Oman Flour Mills, one of the biggest bakeries in the Middle
East, Sohor Poultry and a modern poultry farm. Habaj’s current projects include
setting up a new pasta factory and a new flour mill in Oman.
What
makes IOAM MEA unique?
IAOM MEA has 800 consistent members, making it one of the
biggest districts in terms of members. We have quite a diverse group of food
and feed industries becoming part of the organisation.
The IAOM MEA conference and expo is different from IAOM
meetings in the USA. The USA focuses on technical and operational issues. But
at the IAOM MEA expo, the focus is on grain trading and markets. The three-day
programme will have two main themes: a technical focus including operations,
innovations and management and marketing.
Who
will be at the IAOM MEA conference and expo?
We have different kinds of delegates depending on the region
targeted. This year the conference and expo will be held in Tunisia to attract
the northern African region. We will also have some South African and central
African attendees. Having a different location helps attract new millers from
different regions.
The expo caters more for senior manager and owners. So the
attendees are decision makers mostly. This profile makes IAOM MEA quite different
from other IAOM expos. We try to have a 50/50 split between buyers and
suppliers.
There is also now a section in the expo for feed which has
been developed with VICTAM.
Authors Paul Roberts (The
End of Oil and The End of Food)
and Mike Walsh (who writes on future food trends) will be speaking at the IAOM
conference in Tunisia.
How
has the milling industry developed since IAOM MEA was founded in 1989?
IAOM MEA has had a major impact on milling. The expo is the
only place where people can meet every year. It provides a place to get to know
the traders, understand the problems in milling and learn which machines to
use.
We are ready to go beyond the annual conference by providing
continuous education throughout the year and are considering running IAOM
courses in local languages.
What
are the biggest challenges for your members?
It is the largest region in terms of food imports so food
security is a big issue for flour millers. There are a lot of countries, each
at different levels, trying to achieve food security. In Africa, access to land
to ensure a continuous food supply is an issue.
There are many different solutions and multinationals are
involved as well as local companies.
Increasing the storage capacity for grains is also a
challenge but countries are working on this issue. In recent years, Kuwait and
Oman have both added an additional 300,000 tonnes of storage and Qatar is improving
its grain storage capacity too.
What
have been the biggest successes in the region?
In the last five years there has been a move in the kind of
finished products. There is a lot more food processing for example poultry,
pasta and goods for bakeries. This trend is going to east Africa. In the feed
and flour mills we see a strong focus on food processing and companies that can
help finance these projects.
Flour milling is well established throughout the region. It
is mostly filling the markets. There are some exports but it is only really
Somalia, with its political problems, which needs to import flour.
Imports are more on the specialised side for example, a
blend with different types of flours or quality of grain.
Where
do products milled in MEA go?
In Africa and the Gulf flour is mainly consumed
domestically. In Turkey, government incentives have given Turkish flour a
competitive edge. The country exports its flour to Africa, Cambodia, Vietnam,
the Philippines and Indonesia. One of the reasons why Turkish flour is popular
in these countries is because of the low protein content which makes the flour
suitable for noodles.
What
predictions do you have for the milling industry over the next 10 years?
In the flour market there are three major factors: eating
habits, baking and the market. Eating habits and expectation are changing; people
are more into carbohydrates.
Bakeries are demanding higher quality and different kind of
flours for different breads and pastries. Coffee shops, hotels and airlines are
expanding, requiring different flour mixtures.
Mills need to cater for different customers and respond to
market demand. Thirty years ago the region produced two flours (brown and white).
Today there are 25 kinds of flours.
For the feed industry, there needs to be support for farmers
to increase the number of farms. More
farmers equals more milling east Africa. Food security is also affecting feed
mills but it needs to be organised. Proper farms (particularly poultry farms) need
the feed milling industries standing by them.
The 24th Annual IAOM
Mideast & Africa District Conference and Expo will be held in Sousse,
Tunisia, from November 5-8, 2013 at the Movenpick Hotel.
You can read the full magazine here.
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| Ali Habaj, secretary general and treasurer, IAOM MEA |
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