The import of pears and apples fell 50% because of the continuous massive smuggling of fruits. In addition, smuggled fruits don’t comply with the cold chain, have a shorter life span than they should, and harm consumers.
Engineer Cristian Elias, managing partner of Frutribras, spoke about how fruit smuggling causes huge losses to the formal trade and affects final consumers.
As an example, he cited mainly apples and pears, which leave Argentina at temperatures between 12-15 degrees and, once they arrive in Paraguay, are stored at 30 degrees, a tremendous blow abruptly breaks the cold chain.
As a result, he said, the product does not have the same shelf life it would have if it had been properly preserved, and it can arrive in poor conditions. "This hurts the end consumer, the product can look great on the outside but it can be disaster on the inside," said Elias in a conversation with Radio Cardinal AM.
Additionally, the import of these fruits has fallen by up to 50%, having a negative impact on the economy. "Smuggling affects us all, there’s too much entering the country," lamented the engineer.
Onions are more expensive
Onion currently costs between $11,000 and $12,000 Guarani and prices are expected to continue increasing between 15 and 20% until October, when the local harvest starts. "We will only have national onions by October or November," he said.
In this sense, he said, supermarkets increase final prices between 35 to 40%. That is, if they offer onions at $11,000 Guarani, estimates are that they bought them between $7000 and $7500 Guarani.
Citrus
72% of oranges, considered the workhorse of the fruit sector, is imported. This, as a result of an alleged neglect of the producers, who despite having a good capital are unable to achieve a good production.
"The pretty fruit, the quality fruit, is imported, and the ugly ones are remain national. We are talking making a Fusca compete against a Mercedes," he said.
Source: entornointeligente.com