AST ENTERPRISES INC. PRESENTS NEW COFFEE PRODUCT AFTER SUCCESS IN SESAME, PULSES, AND RAW CASHEW NUT INDUSTRY

Can you provide an overview of AST Enterprises?

AST Enterprises is a family-owned company that was established in Dubai approximately 25 years ago. The founder, Mr. Saravjeet Talwar, has been in the business for over 30 years, having started his career in Tanzania in exports. He then founded his own company in 1998 and moved to Dubai. AST Enterprises specializes in pulses, sesame seeds, oilseeds, and nuts, which constitute the core of its business. The company's main commodity is sesame, with an annual volume of approximately 100,000 tons, followed by pulses, with an annual volume of 70,000 to 80,000 tons. Additionally, the company deals in raw cashew nuts, with an annual volume of approximately 60,000 tons, and animal feeds and other oilseeds such as soybean meal and soybean extractions, with an approximate volume of 80,000 tons.

The company is also involved in rice and has recently entered the coffee industry. AST Enterprises is establishing a Coffee roastery that is set to be operational in DIP (Dubai Investment Park) in a month's time. The company is currently diversifying its operations. In total, AST Enterprises deals with approximately 350,000 tons of various commodities, including sesame seeds, oilseeds, pulses, grains, and rice. The company had a remarkable turnover in 2022 and is expected to increase its turnover in 2023.

AST Enterprises Inc. is a prominent player in the agricultural commodities industry. The company deals in a variety of products, including pulses, sesame seeds, nuts, and oilseeds. With an annual trade volume of 300,000 - 350,000 tons, AST Enterprises Inc. has established a strong presence across the globe.

Usman Riaz, the Head of Sesame trade at AST Enterprises Inc., is an expert in the field with years of experience under his belt. In this interview, he shared about the company's plans for the future.

AST Enterprises has seven traders who handle day-to-day business. Mr. Talwar oversees the pulses business, and the team comprises well-experienced traders who deal in their respective products. The new focus is on a team who are now involved in coffee.

What is the main product you presented at the event – Gulfood, 2023?

This year, we are presenting our new product in the market, which is coffee. We have been serving the industry with our other products for the last 25 years and have a good client base all over the world. However, being at Gulfood provides us with a platform to network and meet new people.

What are your plans for 2023?

We have already started value addition and have moved into sorting sesame seeds in West Africa. We have one of the best plants in West Africa, purchased from Bühler, one of the strongest machine makers in the world. We plan to move the next plant to Nigeria in 2023, followed by Tanzania the following year, and possibly Mozambique and Malawi. We have a strong presence throughout Africa, from Kenya and Ethiopia to Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, and West Africa, including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Guinea Conakry, and the Ivory Coast. Our primary sourcing and selling regions are South Asia, the Far East, China, Korea, Japan, and Europe, where we have recently expanded.