Isaura Daniel
São Paulo – The Brazilians consumed a volume of dates imported from the Arab countries 20% greater in 2004. Between January and November, Brazil bought 166.7 tonnes of the fruit from the region against 138 tonnes in the same period in 2003.
The revenue the Arab countries made from the sales of dates to Brazil increased even more: 27%. The receipt went from US$ 205.7 million during the first eleven months in 2003 to US$ 261.5 million in 2004.
Of the total of dry dates imported in the period, 77% came from the Arab countries. Between January and November, Brazilians imported 217.2 tonnes of dry dates. Total expenditure with dates imports reached US$ 360 million, of which 75% were gained by the Arabs.
Brazil practically does not import fresh dates, only dry. The last purchase of the fruit in natura registered by the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), of only ten tonnes, was in December 2003.
In Brazil, the dry date is used mainly to prepare sweets, especially of the Arab cuisine, such as the maamoul and sweet pastries, and is sold in Arab goods specialised grocery stores.
The greatest supplier of dates to Brazil is Tunisia. Of the 166.7 tonnes bought by Brazil from the Arab countries between January and November, 165 tonnes came from there. Brazilian imports of Tunisian dates increased 28% in the period.
The country in North Africa is one of the great suppliers of the fruit to the world. The dates harvested in the oasis in Tunisia are famous in the whole world.
Lebanon also sold dates to the Brazilians between January and November 2004, but in a smaller proportion: 1.6 tonnes. During the same months of the previous year, the Lebanese had supplied 3.4 tonnes of dates to Brazil.
Emirates and Morocco
Even though Tunisia and Lebanon are the only two Arab countries which supplied dates to Brazil in 2004, other nations in the North Africa and the Middle East also produce the fruit, as is the case of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development in Morocco estimated a production of 70,000 tonnes of dates for the country in 2004. In the Emirates, according to information from the Emirates News Agency, there are 40 million cultivated date palms.
