São Paulo – Exporting fruit to the Arab market may be good business for fruit farmers in northeastern Brazil. The opportunities for sale to the market that already has a habit of consuming fruit like apples, oranges, guava, pineapple, grapes, limes, peaches and mango, were presented by the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, during the schedule of the International Irrigated Tropical Fruit Fair (Expofruit), which ends on Sunday (7), in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte.
"There are great possibilities for trade of Brazilian fruit in the Arab market. Imports of foodstuffs by the Arabs are still on the rise, and the countries in the region already consume typically Brazilian products," said Alaby at the meeting with businessmen at the offices of the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae).
According to Alaby, among the advantages that are opening Arab doors to Brazilian products, is the diversity in Brazilian fruit, among them guaraná, which is normally associated to Brazil. Another favourable point is the daily Emirates flight between São Paulo and Dubai, which improves the quality of the end product and adds shelf life to the fruit.
The meeting included 50 businessmen, mostly exporters of fruit to the United States and Europe, as well as representatives of the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf). "We said we would continue talks to promote a trade mission, in 2010, to three Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, with the objective of promoting fruit and attracting investment in tourism," explained Alaby.
The Economic Development Secretary of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Francisco Segundo de Paula, showed satisfaction with the possibility of seeking new markets for fruit produced in the state. "We want to take the melon produced in the state and to show it to the Arab market, intensifying exports. We have climate and soil that is appropriate to fruit farming in our state, which grants quality and flavour to our fruit. The intention is to open new horizons and keep doors open in both markets," he said in a press statement disclosed by the Sebrae.
The fair
Expofruit brings together importers, distributors, suppliers and delegations from several countries. This edition has 330 stands. The schedule of the event includes scientific talks, workshops and national and international business roundtables promoted by the Sebrae.
In the roundtables last year estimated business generated was US$ 12 million. This year, the groups participating are from Portugal, Spain, England and Canada. Of the Brazilian buyers, most are from São Paulo.
Fresh and mashed fruit, processed banana, flour, tropical flowers, handicraft, honey, cashew nuts, cane spirit and organic products are exhibited by producers who have the support of the Sebrae.
The city of Mossoró, where Expofruit takes place, is in one of the main melon hubs, in Açu Valley, which is also the second main exporter of irrigated fresh fruit. Last year, the valley exported 92,500 tonnes of melon for US$ 65 million.
Among the largest in the world
Brazil is one of the three main producers of fruit in the world. The country’s production exceeded 43 million tonnes in 2008, which represents 5% of the global production, only behind China and India. Around 53% of Brazilian production is turned to the processed fruit market and 47% to the fresh fruit market. There is currently a foreign market of around 28.3 million tonnes that may be supplied by Brazilian fruit farmers. This is the panorama for Brazilian exports, according to the Ibraf.
Currently, Brazilian production includes tropical, subtropical and temperate fruit, thanks to the territorial dimensions of the country, the geographic conditions, soil and climate conditions. There are 500 varieties of edible fruit producing plants and 220 species of native fruit in the Amazon alone. The sector employs 5.6 million people, which is equivalent to 27% of the agricultural labour in the country. It generates from two to five work posts in the productive chain per hectare cultivated and is composed mainly of small and medium properties.
*Translated by Mark Ament
