Celebration of 1.000 tons record harvest of Teff in Spain
On Tuesday the 21st of September 2010 Prograin – one of the largest global producers of the traditional cereal Teff – organized, with the assistance of Transfer Consultancy, an event in Frómista (Palenci
a) in order to celebrate the harvest of 1.000.000 kilos of Teff in Spain. At this moment Spain is the number one exporter of Teff for human consumption and the third major producer of Teff in the world. Teff is a traditional grain originally from Etiopia. A large number of people attended this event, among them the Deputy of Agriculture in Palencia, the mayor of Frómista, representatives of the Food Technology Department of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, large companies from the Spanish food industry, the farmers themselves and various interested parties from the agricultural sector.
During the official part of the event, the speakers José Luís Marcos Pinto (Deputy of Agriculture in Palencia), Fernando Díez Mediavilla (Mayor of Frómista), Yolanda de Prado Egiguren (Communication Department of Prograin International in Spain), Hans Turkensteen (Commercial Director of Prograin International), Sven Kallen (Director of Transfer Consultancy), María Jesús Callejo (Professor at the Polytechnic University of Madrid) and Udo Hanneforth (Concern Hanneforth), underlined the importance of cultivating and commercializing Teff, and its applications for the food industry, in Spain.
Yolanda de Prado Egiguren of Prograin International discussed the large harvest of Teff in Spain this year and the way Teff provides new opportunities for the agricultural and food industries in Spain. After that, María Jesús Callejo of the Food Technology Department of the Polytechnic University of Madrid showed the positive results of experiments realized with Teff and the successful production of their cookies “Teffitos”.
Hans Turkensteen, from his position as Commercial Director of Prograin International, informed the audience more about the highlights and the qualities of Teff. “The combination of its excellent proteins, the rich available minerals and the great quality of its carbohydrates support us to keep our bodies healthy and slim. Moreover, Teff is the cereal of the future, produced in a sustainable way”.
In his presentation, Ude Hanneforth explained more about the added value of Teff for entrepreneurs. Namely, the Teff market experiences an annual growth of 20% and Teff has the best margins compared to other cereals. Furthermore, Teff meets customers demands and it provides the opportunity to create products in which one believes.
After the official event in the town hall, the group moved itself to the Ethnographic Museum of Frómista to share a meal and attend a Spanish wine tasting. In the winery of the museum, the visitors received an explanation about the Teff products and they were able to taste some applications of Teff in tasty and modern food developed for the European and Spanish market, such as cookies, muesli bars, baking products and freshly baked products.
Hans Turkensteen, Commercial Director of Prograin International can look back on a successful event: “This event was a step in the right direction. A great number of people attended and participated with a lot of enthusiasm and attention. We achieved the goal we had set for this event with 100%.
Transfer Consultancy promotes and commercializes this product on the Spanish market. Sven Kallen, director of Transfer Consultancy, believes that Spain is ready for Teff with its multiple possibilities and applications: ”No other cereal which is on the market right now unites this variety of healthy elements and active fibers like Teff. With regard to the large obesity and digestion problems in Spain and the lack of supply of quality gluten-free products we see a great future for Teff”.
If you would like to learn more about Teff and its various health benefits, please contact us.
