"We are about to start the development of a country brand for Colombian pineapples; we want the country to be recognised as an important worldwide supplier, not just of pineapples, but of fruit in general," affirms Mauricio López Noguera, of Bengala Agrícola S.A.S.
Although the agricultural corporation to which Bengala Agrícola belongs is mostly devoted to the production of sugarcane, for which it has over 65,000 hectares across Colombia, pineapples are becoming an important part of the company's new strategy.
"This is a process of diversification, for which several areas in the Cauca Valley, not ideal for sugarcane production, but with the right agroclimatic conditions for fruit production, have been selected. After these areas were identified, we created Bengala Agrícola in 2012, and after carrying out the necessary studies we decided to start with MD2 pineapple production," explains Mauricio.
Currently, 95% of the country's pineapple production goes to the domestic market. "It is important for the Colombian agricultural and pineapple sector to promote an export culture, to seize market opportunities and to find the best international markets for our fruit. To this end, we need to develop certification schemes, technology and efficient infrastructure," points out Mauricio.
"In Colombia, we have expanded in the production of products like Hass avocados, limes, pineapples and exotic fruits. As a company, we identify this business opportunity and hope to become a leading agro-business able to show that Colombia can grow and sell top quality fruit to the world," he affirms.
Bengala Agrícola has around 260 cultivated hectares.
The company currently has about 260 hectares cultivated with seeds certified by Costa Rican and Colombian phytosanitary authorities. This year, 150 hectares will be harvested, which should yield 15.5 million kilos and allow the company to offer a continuous supply to its customers.
"The South American market should be the gateway for our pineapples; from June onwards, we will concentrate our efforts in countries such as Chile, Argentina and Uruguay; however, we are already assessing the interest shown from companies based in Europe and the United States."
In Chile, pineapple consumption has shown an annual growth of between 10 and 12% from 2010 to date. "It's a less saturated market, where the main competitor is not Costa Rica, but Ecuador, a country which in recent years has gradually abandoned the crop in large production areas, going from 5,000 hectares to just 1,500," he explains.
The strategic location on the Pacific, the capacity to ship from the important port of Buenaventura and the FTA that both countries have are all arguments confirming the potential of Colombian fruit in the Southern Cone.
"We will be competitive in terms of prices, and we believe we can reach the markets with superior quality. In Colombia we have less rain than in other countries, so we can produce and offer the world a purer, healthier product. This has sparked great interest from companies and major supermarket chains worldwide, with which we have established contact," affirms Mauricio.
Prospects for 2015 for Bengala Agrícola and the launch of its Bengala Golden Premium pineapple in the international markets are both very promising.
"At the moment, we have a weak Euro, but pineapple prices are high due to Costa Rica's low supply. The Colombian currency has suffered a sharp 25% devaluation, so we expect the exchange rate to be favourable for export. Furthermore, and based on worldwide MD2 pineapple production trends, we hope to seize the opportunity that will come in the months of July, August and September due to low market supply, as that will be a time when we'll be able to offer good volumes of fruit for its marketing in the Southern Cone and in Europe's most demanding markets," he concludes.
More information:
Mauricio López Noguera
BENGALA AGRÍCOLA
Tel.: (57) (2) 4855974comercial.corp@bengalaaricola.com
http://www.agroriocas.co/agricolas/Bengala/index.php