São Paulo –Via Néctare, a fruit pulp manufacturing company based in São Paulo, wants to begin exporting to the Arab market. To that end, the company is carrying out a series of actions, explains trade manager Marcelo Stankunavicius. “We are making on-site visits to get to know the markets we want to break into, and our international competitors,” he says.
Two weeks ago, Stankunavicius spent five days in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he visited ten potential clients. “We have paved the way for our product to be evaluated through industrial testing,” he says. In addition to the executive’s trip, the company has also been in business matchmaking rounds with food importers from the Middle East, at the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, on July 10th and 11th, and is looking for agents in Arab countries to carry out client prospecting and sales.
Via Néctare makes pulp from fruit such as mango, guava, acerola, pineapple and passion fruit, and resells it to juice packaging companies. According to the manager, the company is mostly interested in selling to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Levant countries, especially Lebanon.
“For our particular type of product, the Arab market is the leading consumer market in the world. They buy a lot from India right now, and we want a slice of that market,” says Stankunavicius.
Via Néctare’s production volume varies depending on the fruit crops, but averages at 20,000 tonnes of pulp per year. Stankunavicius explains that in 2011, only 30% of production was exported. In 2012, the rate has gone up to 50%.
“We intend to maintain that level next year,” says the manager. He also says the amount exported will increase considerably as the company enters the Arab countries. “If our product is accepted in the Arab market, the volume may increase. Exports may come to account for up to 100% of our sales.” The main export targets are currently Spain, Germany, South Africa and the United States.
According to the executive, mango pulp is the product with the most export potential to Arab countries. “They prefer the sweeter fruits, and there are varieties of mango in Brazil which are much sweeter than the ones they are buying,” he says.
In addition to the actions already mentioned targeting the Arab countries, Via Néctare should also attend the 2013 edition of Gulfood, the leading food fair in the Middle East, held annually in Dubai.
Contact
Via Néctare
Telephone: +55 16 3253-9393 branch: 4916
Email: macelo.stankunavicius@vianectare.com.br
Website: www.vianectare.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
