São Paulo – Since the end of 2013, the limes grown in the town of Jaíba, northern Minas Gerais, have gotten a new export destination, the Middle East. Today, the fruit from Minas Gerais are sold and distributed to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
“The son of one of our producers visited Gulfood in 2012 and was able to make the first contacts [with buyers]”, explains Randolfo Diniz Rabelo, president of the Association of Producers of Lemon and other Fruits from the Jaíba Region (Aslim). Rabelo is referring to the Middle East’s main foodstuff and beverages fair, which takes place every year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Currently, foreign sales of limes from Jaíba are done through two export/import companies.
Rabelo says that the association has six clients in these countries and considers the entrance in the Arab market “an innovation” for the association, which has 25 large lime producers as members. According to the executive, sales to the Middle East usually happen early or late in the year.
Arabs buy especially the smaller fruits, which, according to Rabelo, are less appreciated in the domestic market. “We have to always be on top in this market. The Middle East consumes the small lime, which the domestic market doesn’t like, and the Middle East pays way better. It’s a market strategy”, he says.
Shipments of the small lime are done through the port of Salvador and the product takes around 30 days to reach the Arab countries. This type of fruit accounts for 90% of the shipments from Jaíba’s producers to the region. The other 10%, of bigger lime, are done by air. This year only, 11 air shipments were sent to the Arabs.
Rabelo doesn’t reveal selling prices to the Middle East, but says that export profits can surpass in 100% the profit of the domestic market, since the fruits exported are of better quality than the fruits sent to the domestic market.
Regarding sales volume, Rabelo says that, in 2015, the association sold 10,366 tons of lime, of which 35% were exported. From the total shipped abroad, around 12% went to Arab countries.
Besides the Arab nations, Jaíba’s producers export to Germany, Holland, England, Italy and Spain. According to Rabelo, up to June of this year, the association shipped 2,570 tons of lime abroad. With the next peak production expected to the months of October, November and December, Aslim’s president believes that foreign sales can surpass in 20% to 25% sales of last year.
Quick Facts
Producers of Lemon and other Fruits from the Jaíba Region Association (Aslim)
Website: www.aslim.com.br
Phone: +55 38 3833-1563
Email: aslim@aslim.com.br
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
