From the Newsroom
São Paulo – One of the main fresh fruit trade fairs worldwide, Fruit Logistica 2004, which took place in Berlin, Germany, in February, included the presence of companies from 90 countries. Brazil took 18 companies that did business of the magnitude of US$ 12 million during the event.
Renar Maçãs S.A, based in Fraiburgo, Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, participated in the fair for the third time, and this time did business of US$ 5 million. "The results of the fair were excellent. The growth when compared to last year was between 20% and 30%," commemorated company export salesman Verno Berhals Júnior.
According to Júnior, apart from sales to traditional importers of Renar apples, among them Germany, Holland, and England, the event was also useful to make contact with Asian countries, like Bangladesh, the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.
The 18 Brazilian companies that participated in Fruit Logistica were: AGOL – Agropecuária Grande Oeste, AGRA – Produção e Exportação Ltda., Agrícola Fraiburgo S/A, Agropecuária Labrunier, Agropel Agrícola Ltda., Copa Fruit Importação e Exportação Ltda., Fruitfort Group, Fischer Fraiburgo Agricola Ltda., Gaia Importação e Exportação Ltda., Globalfruit, Indaia Exotic Import e Export Ltda., Itacitrus Comércio de Frutas Ltda., Nolem Comercial Importadora, Paulista Business Corporation, Renar Maçãs S.A., South Brazilian Fruit, and Secchi Agrícola Imp. e Exp. Ltda.
This year, over 22,000 people visited Fruit Logistica, a 39% growth with regard to 2003. The fair organization counted 1,112 exhibitors presenting fruit and vegetables to importers and exporters, wholesalers, retailers, and executives in the market. Fruit Logistica 2005 will take place from February 10 to 12, also in Berlin.
Third largest world production
In Brazil, the fruit market has a turnover of US$ 5.8 billion per year, with production of 34 million tonnes – the third largest in the world – and generates 5.6 million work posts. In 12 months, the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf) estimates that Brazilian producers can increase sales by around US$ 22 million.
To Moacyr Saraiva Fernandes, president of the Ibraf, fairs are important marketing tools. "It is necessary to show Brazilian sector products internationally as the domestic market cannot absorb the production growth, and just 1.4% of produce is exported," stated Fernandes.
According to statistics produced by the Brazil-Germany Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the European Union produced 79 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables last year, with around two million businesses involved in the cultivation and planting of fruit and vegetables.
This generated a trade volume of approximately 33 billion euros. In Germany alone there are around 2,700 sector companies selling around 16 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables, with turnover of around 18 billion euros.
