São Paulo – Producers of industrialized products made from peanuts have already tallied the good results for 2010. Last year the sector, whose revenues totalled 1.3 billion Brazilian reals (US$ 730 million), exported US$ 86 million. This year, foreign sales are expected to rise to US$ 107 million, representing growth of over 25%.
The forecast is by the Brazilian Cocoa and Confectionery Manufacturers Association (Abicab). The most popular Brazilian peanut products on the foreign market are chikki (known as pé-de-moleque in Brazil), paçoca (a kind of peanut sweet), seasoned and sweetened peanuts. Chikki and paçoca are cash cows in Brazil, consumed at a growing rate in Latin America and even Japan, the main destinations for sector exports. The Arab countries already import the Brazilian product, but still at small volumes.
The World Cup is considered a stimulus to greater sector sales. While the ball is rolling on the grass, those watching the games consume more. Sales of sweets and savoury snacks based on peanuts in the months of May, June and July alone answer to 28% of total industry sales during the year.
With the World Cup matches and celebrations, the snack market grows. Therefore, it is estimated that this year there should be 50% growth in sales as against the same period in 2009. To supply this demand, industrial production in the period should be 60% peanut snacks and 40% sweets made from the same nut. Considering these factors, aligned to the return to growth of the economy of Brazil, the expected expansion is 20% over consumption last year.
“Peanuts are among the favourite snacks in Brazil when the topic is celebrations, mainly the football World Cup, and the product is also accessible to all social classes,” said Renato Fechino, vice president of the peanut sector at ABICAB.
So many positive figures also resulted in the generation of jobs. If in 2009, 1,000 work posts were created, expectations for 2010 are for the generation of 1,500 new posts, raising the number of workers in the sector to 17,500. Industry alone should create over 2,500 temporary posts. The same should happen in the retail sector, which should require another 500 temporary posts during events like the Cup and the traditional June parties that take place all over Brazil.
*Translated by Mark Ament
