June 26 – Puglia’s food, one of the flourishing sectors of the region’s economy Puglia, travels to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for “Sial Brazil,” an International Exhibition of Food and Agriculture, which will run until June 28. Ten companies, accompanied by the Puglia Region, will be able to promote their products in the institutional exhibition, having been adequately trained in Puglia. In fact, thanks to the collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Brazil, they participated in April in an information day on the Brazilian market, organized by the Regional Economic Development Department (Internationalization Service). The companies’ profiles were then elaborated in Portuguese and sent to more than 200 qualified operators in the sector. “The agri-food sector is of strategic importance in Puglia’s economy – said the Councillor for Regional Economic Development, Loredana Capone – It continues to grow despite the crisis and ISTAT data on exports in the first quarter of 2013 showed an upward trend in both agricultural products (+19.7%) and in food and beverages (+9%). The export of food products to Brazil increased in 2012 by 20.1%. That is why participating in ‘Sial Brazil’ is important. We intend to strengthen and further improve this business relationship.”