The nearly 14,900 kilometers that separate China from Costa Rica do not seem to intimidate the Costa Rican pineapple exporters that want to place their products in the Asian market.
They are only awaiting a technical visit from Chinese authorities before Costa Rica can start boosting shipments to China.
Costa Rican producers are positive that they will have access to the Chinese market, which has a great potential for them, because their fruit is recognized for its quality worldwide, it is well established, and they have an optimum fruit production capacity.
Of course, it is imperative to educate the industry about the market. To do this, it's essential that exporters and state institutions have good relations.
"Before thinking about production volumes we have to think how much the demand will grow, the pricing scheme that that market will have, and the logistics to get there. But the answer to whether we can make the cut is - yes we can," said Abel Chaves, president of the National Chamber of Producers and Exporters of Pineapple (Canapep).
Costa Rica's exports to China are incipient, especially when compared to exports to established markets like the United States.
According to the Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer), the country exported $465 million to North America while it only exported $5 million to Asia.
Getting to China has not been a quick process. In 2014, after the Pest (ARP) risk analysis, an Asian technical committee visited Costa Rica's pineapple production and packing areas to approve Costa Rica's fruit.
At that time, the Chinese authorities met with the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) to continue negotiations.
A year later, in 2015, the protocol with the phytosanitary requirements for the entry of Costa Rican pineapples into the Chinese market was signed.
The last step was a final visit of the technical mission from the Republic of China in February, which was established in the protocol for export.
The delegation visited production areas and packing plants in the areas of Guapiles, Sarapiqui, San Carlos, and Upala.
According to data from Canapep, there currently are 43,000 hectares devoted to this crop, and the northern region has the most hectares (47% of the total cultivated area).
The SFE estimated that there currently are 20 companies interested in exporting pineapples to China.
Producers will have to compete with exporters from Malaysia and Vietnam, which are China's main suppliers of pineapple. However, the Canapep is confident that the quality of Costa Rica's pineapples will allow them to win buyers.
"We have a highly competitive pineapple sector. We have the channels to take our fruits to China, the necessary quality fruit production, and a sector with a large capacity. We are ready to meet the demands of Chinese consumers," said Alvaro Piedra, director of Procomer exports.
Source: elfinancierocr.com