Wide Open Agriculture (ASX: WOA) is vying for a top spot in the ever growing plant based milk section at your local supermarket with the expansion of their retail facing brand, Dirty Clean Food. 

The Brand’s headline product is their ‘OatUP’ oat milk which is now going to be available to Middle East markets following the signing of a distribution agreement with MKMI General Trading. 

MKMI is a leading distributor of products in the retail and food industries in the Middle East and is especially well regarded when it comes to the distribution of ethically produced foods. The plan is to distribute OatUP to hospitality, retail and food service businesses in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Alongside the flagship base oat milk product, MKMI also has the option to distribute OatUP’s Barista Oat Milk, Chocolate Oat Milk and Cold Brew Coffee Oat Milk pending product development of new flavours. 

MKMI will have exclusive distribution rights for all sales, marketing and management of the product in these new markets for 24 months. They have committed to purchase a minimum of AUD $150,000 of product each year however, WOA foresees strong interest and uptake from the market. Forecasters estimate that the alternative dairy market in the Middle East is set to grow by 12.5% per year to reach AUD $2.8 billion by 2026. 

Entry into this new market speaks to the robust and rapidly growing international market appeal of responsibly manufactured plant based products. 

Dirty Clean Food’s dedicated CEO Jay Albany said: “We are delighted to join forces with MKMI. Together, we are well-positioned to gain a foothold in the GCC and offer customers our range of oat milk products. 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.”

MMKI’s Managing Director, Stephen Price also commented on the agreement, saying: “MKMI is proud to bring Dirty Clean Food’s Oat Milk to the Middle East. Our business is aligned in terms of providing the best premium and sustainable products across this diverse market. There is a massive opportunity for high quality, sustainable products in this region and we’re excited about the opportunity across multiple markets.”  

The first shipment of OatUP to the Middle East is expected to land in February 2022.