Regenerative food company Wide Open Agriculture (WOA) has secured a second international distributor for its Dirty Clean Foods OatUp oat milk. The two-year deal with MKMI General Trading will see OatUp stocked into multiple locations across the Middle East.
As part of the agreement, MKMI will purchase a minimum of $150,000 worth of OatUp each year. MKMI will also become OatUp’s exclusive distribution partner for sales, marketing, and management in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait markets.
Dirty Clean Food CEO Jay Albany said the agreement allows the company to gain a foothold in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC).
“The GCC is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. We are thrilled to enter this important market and offer consumers premium regenerative products to meet the growing demand for healthier food and beverage options across the region,” said Albany.
WOA said it expects the first shipment of products to be delivered to MKMI by February2022 and estimates a demand of 5000 units per month. The company will also ensure its products have a minimum shelf life of six months and the production of its new flavour range will also be available to MKMI.
MKMI is a leading distributor partner for the retail and food service sectors in the Middle East.
MKMI managing director Stephen Price said the company’s focus was on premium and sustainable products.
“There is a massive opportunity for high quality, sustainable products in this region and we’re excited about the opportunity across multiple markets,” Price said.
Consumers in the Middle East have started to shift towards plants milk as a healthier alternative, with an estimated growth of 50 per cent in 2020. The region’s alt dairy market is forecast to reach $2.8 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.5 per cent.
WOA said initial sales will begin by Q1 CY22 and is advancing discussions with other potential international distributors.
The company has been steadily gaining an international foothold and more distributors. In October, WOA secured its first international distributor which will exclusively distribute its OatUp for two years in Singapore, with a minimum purchase of $500,000 in the first year. The following month the company landed its largest distribution agreement, with Woolworths stocking its oat milk in roughly half of its stores from March 2022.
