A promotion is held at the booth of Argentina at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

El Artesano, Manieri & Rossi and Don Alfa, three Argentine companies located in the city of Marcos Paz, some 49 km from the capital, are among the almost 40 Argentine companies to participate in the expo scheduled for Nov. 5-10 in the city of Shanghai.

Small Argentine food producers based on the outskirts of the capital Buenos Aires will have a rare opportunity to showcase their products to the world's largest consumer market at the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE).

El Artesano, Manieri & Rossi and Don Alfa, three Argentine companies located in the city of Marcos Paz, some 49 km from the capital, are among the almost 40 Argentine companies to participate in the expo scheduled for Nov. 5-10 in the city of Shanghai.

Together, they will be promoting local varieties of raw ham, as well as cracker-style tostadas and Argentine cookies known as alfajores, all typical products from the western countryside of Buenos Aires province.

The region's signature product, the local raw ham, carries the quality seal "Argentine Food, a Natural Choice," awarded by the country's ministry of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.

Unprocessed and not ready for consumption, the boneless raw ham is a premium raw material that boasts a process of traceability "that begins on the farm," plant managers told Xinhua during a tour of the facility.

"This product is differentiated both by the raw material and the entire drying and salting process. In this case, the raw material comes from the Saladillo de El Artesano farm, which employs a special and specific feed to receive the Argentine Food seal," said Pilar Poveda, the plant's head of quality control.

Herman Castillo, the executive in charge of production, said what sets the product apart is that it "does not contain additives, is gluten-free and its quality has been nationally recognized."

El Artesano, which has an annual production of 100 tons per year, will also present its other products, including boned and boneless raw ham, said Poveda.

"The idea is to present our entire range of products to see which one the market is interested in," Poveda said.

Sharing the Argentina stand, Manieri & Rossi will display four varieties of tostadas (classic, sweet, bran and salty), as well as a line of "healthy" products called Equilibrio, the company's general manager Gustavo Javier Ibarra said.

According to Ibarra, the CIIE provides a rare opportunity for small- and medium-sized companies to get major international exposure and eventually gain trade agreements.

"Small companies are generally not visible and do not have the opportunity to reach large markets such as the Chinese market. I think that strategically, it is also very important for Argentine production and sustained economic growth," Ibarra said.

With a production capacity of 200 tons per month, mainly for the domestic market, Manieri & Rossi has managed to export small amounts to destinations such as the United States and Chile.

Some 95 percent of its raw material comes from national producers, Ibarra said, noting "there is a whole chain that is strengthened" by starting exports to China.

"It is an opportunity for Argentina in particular, since the country requires greater exports and products that have added value," he said.

Don Alfa, a company that makes Capricho alfajores, will attend the expo with an eye to making an "initial contact" with the Chinese market.

"We still do not know how the alfajor will do in China, but we hope to be able to create a market based on learning about the tastes of Chinese consumers," said Horacio Rodriguez Diego, who is in charge of production.

Don Alfa, which currently produces 200,000 pieces of alfajores per day, plans to present its line of white-, dark- and milk-chocolate alfajores and mini alfajores.

The three companies will be accompanied by local government officials from Marcos Paz, the first and only small city in Argentina selected to attend the third edition of the expo.