Isaura Daniel
São Paulo – The director of Lebanese food distributor Widriss, Maher Idriss, visited Brazil last weekend to learn about domestic concentrated fruit juice production. The businessman, who already imports orange juice from Brazil, visited four Brazilian factories in Sergipe, in the northeast of Brazil, and according to a state spokesperson, returned to his country prepared to import samples of Brazilian tropical fruit juice.
He participated, together with importers from the United States, Germany, Israel, Portugal, and England, in a business roundtable the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) promoted in the city of Aracaju, together with the Sergipe state government, within the Entrepreneur Fair, which took place on Friday (30) and Saturday (31).
Tropfruit, a Sergipe company visited by the businessman and with which he should do business, produces concentrated pineapple, passion fruit, and orange juice. Tropfruit produces around 500 tonnes a month and exports 90% of its production to Europe, Asia, Australia, Israel, and Argentina.
Idriss also visited factories Maratá Sucos, Suco Vita, and Fruta & Cia, and tropical fruit plantations in the interior of the state. According to Sebrae foreign trade advisor Paulo Afonso Marques de Souza, the Lebanese distributor was impressed with the coconut water produced by Fruta & Cia. At the roundtable, Idriss also made contact with at least five concentrated fruit juice producers.
According to Souza, Widriss sells its products in another five Arab countries, not only in Lebanon. Sebrae invited the distributor to participate in the roundtable due to contact made at international food fair Anuga, in which the businessman participated as a visitor and the Sebrae participated as an exhibitor.
Fruit business
The Sebrae forecast is that the roundtable should generate around US$ 2,6 million in business for producers of juices and coconut water in the northeast of Brazil. Those present at the meeting included ten importers from six countries and producers from the Northeastern states of Sergipe, Alagoas, and Rio Grande do Norte.
Sergipe exports around US$ 60 million in concentrated fruit juice, but wants to increase sales. According to the Sebrae foreign trade advisor, currently 80% is due to orange juice export. The producers intend to try to increase trade of other tropical fruit.
Since 2000, the region has been participating, in the Integrated Sector Project for Promotion of Export of Juices and Mashed Fruit, promoted by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex) aimed at diversifying and increasing export. Souza explained that export of concentrated pineapple juice, for example, has already increased 15 times since the project was implemented, and totals around US$ 4.5 million. But orange juice still represents a much greater volume.
Holland is the main importer of juice produced in Sergipe, answering to 80% of import. The remaining 20% go to Belgium, Germany, and the United States. The Arab countries do not yet purchase concentrated fruit juice from the state of Sergipe, according to Souza. Sergipe is the second largest orange producer in Brazil, losing only to the southeastern state of São Paulo.
