Marina Sarruf*
marina.sarruf@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Brazilian dried and fresh fruit exports to the Arab countries totalled US$ 14.76 million last year, which represented an increase of 69.3% over 2006, when sales totalled US$ 8.72 million. According to the president of the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf), Moacyr Saraiva Fernandes, the Arab nations are part of the new markets that the organisation is working. "The countries of the Gulf region, mainly, are those I consider most important," he said.
To expand sales to the region and promote Brazilian fruit, the Ibraf is going to participate in the Gulfood, the main fair in the food and beverage sector in the Middle East, to take place in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, between February 24 and 27. The Brazilian companies and associations that are going to participate in the event will be taken with the support of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. "We have strategies greatly guided to the Arab market," said Fernandes.
According to him, apart from the fair the Ibraf plans to promote Brazilian fruit and juice at supermarket chains in the Arab countries. "We want to work with the end consumer. The idea is to have product sampling at shops," stated Fernandes. The Ibraf has already developed this kind of promotion in partnership with supermarket chain Carrefour in Europe and the idea is to do the same with the French chain in the Arab nations. Exports of fruit juices to the Arab market totalled US$ 9.7 million, a reduction of 24.7% over 2006.
The main Arab countries importing Brazilian fruit and juice are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Yemen. However, according to Fernandes, the majority of exports are through the Netherlands, the main buyer in the European Union and also a reexporter to the Middle East. "When we export directly to the country we have greater contact with the end buyers and may work the market better, as we learn about their preferences," stated the Ibraf president.
According to Fernandes, there are three main factors that should contribute to the expansion of sales to the Arab market. Firstly the climate, which is dry, favouring the search for fruit juice, secondly, the Islamic religion, which does not permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the third is the high buying power in the countries in the Gulf. "For these reasons we are paying to the Arab nations threefold attention in seeking new opportunities," he said.
Apart from the Arab market, fresh and processed fruit exports as a whole also posted an increase last year. Sales totalled US$ 3.3 billion, which represented growth of 45% over 2006, when exports totalled US$ 2.3 billion.
Just in fresh fruit, shipments totalled 918,000 tonnes last year, 14% more than in the previous year. Exports generated US$ 642 million, an increase of 34% over 2006, when sales reached US$ 477 million.
The main fruit responsible for the expansion of exports were grapes, melon, apples, limes and pineapple. Processed fruit also closed the year with a positive result, with exports of US$ 2.7 billion, an increase of 48% over the previous year. Orange juice is still the highlight, as it represents around 82% of processed fruit exports and obtained an increase of 53% over the previous year.
Another highlight was the sale of cashew nuts, which posted growth of 20% in revenues, reaching US$ 225 million. Cashew nuts were also responsible for around 50% of the total value of fruit exported to the Arab countries, and generated US$ 7.68 million.
*Translated by Mark Ament
