"We implemented this incentive for two products in particular, pineapple and avocado, because they are the fruits with the greatest sowing capacity at the national level. This means that there are abundant volumes of these fruits and that we can have more supply than the national market demands. All surplus volumes can be exported, for example to the USA, Europe, and Asia. The company has been active since 2012, but almost all of our experience is in the national market as distributors," said Gerardo Cumare, of the Venezuelan Cumaca Investment company.
Gerardo said that he has relied heavily on the experience of countries that produce these fruits, such as Costa Rica and Colombia. "Costa Rica is a very important player in the export of pineapple. Its fruit is known all over the world. In addition, they do an excellent marketing job regarding their pineapple and its quality. However, our advantage over other countries is that Venezuela has stable weather conditions. Hurricanes or heavy rains are very rare in our country. Therefore, we produce fruits under ideal growing conditions and we have fruit all year round."
Association
"We work with producers so that they know the quality that is required for export. In the future, when we manage to stabilize exports, the idea is to create an association so that all Venezuelan producers can benefit from exports, and possibly expand the offer to other tropical fruits such as Tahiti lime and Mango. We will promote more than our fruits, Venezuelan pineapples and avocados will be exported. Our idea is to market a product that has a standard quality that meets international requirements. We have put some practices together, but the partnership still hasn't been formalized." Starting in February, there will be a large harvest of pineapples, the result of two years of work and preparation.
Pineapples"We work with the Spanish red pineapple variety. It's not as well known as the Golden MD2, but it's also an Extra-Sweet pineapple, which can have more than 14 degrees Brix. In terms of size it is above 1.8 kilos."
The Venezuelan government has expressed its intention of providing companies with the necessary permits to export this type of products. "Every time we have a harvest for export, the Government must verify its quality and that it complies with all the norms, even though the plant and the fields have all the necessary permits and comply with international standards."
"The main demand for our pineapples and avocados is from the USA and Europe, especially from the Netherlands and Germany. Venezuela is not known as an exporter of fruit, and our idea is to make our fruits better known. We are convinced that our export volumes will increase little by little. "
This Venezuelan company is aware that, since their fruit is not well known in the market, they will have to be competitive in terms of prices and trading conditions. As their products become known and customers are aware of their quality, taste, and size, the company will surely be in a better position to negotiate better prices. The Lara state, which is one of the areas where the pineapple is grown, has about 15,000 hectares devoted to pineapple production.
Avocado
"Our avocados are also not very well known in the international market because we don't produce the Hass variety, which is the most common in the world. We produce the Pollock and Choquette varieties (Green Skin Avocados), which are very specific to tropical countries, such as Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and even Florida. These varieties are beginning to be known in Europe and, little by little, they are gaining ground against the Hass avocado," he said.
The Pollock avocado has an elongated shape, similar to a pear, while the Choquette variety is more rounded, although its shape also tends to be long, he said. The skin of both is smooth and has an intense bright green color. "Both varieties are creamier and have a bigger caliber than the Hass avocado. We believe that the European and Asian market will appreciate these special characteristics."
"We are looking to establish agreements with importers in the European market. This commercial agreements would allow us to place our fruit in specific places. We understand that it is something that has to be done step by step. Latin Americans are familiar with these varieties, as they are especially known in South America. We believe that there is an important niche market and that a group of people will prefer our varieties over the Hass variety."
To conclude, he said, they have good potential. "Mexico, for example, runs out of product for a few months due to the arrival of winter and cold. We offer the same product with the same characteristics practically all year round."
More information:
Gerardo Cumare
Inversiones Cumaca C.A
Venezuela
T: +58-414-6436762