Some companies from Norte de Santander have been betting on the dehydrated fruit business.
Unknown to many, the dehydrated fruit sector is gaining ground in the world market.
According to experts, dehydrated foods have a smaller size, weight, and longer shelf life than the original foods, without losing their nutritional value.
Gina Botero is one of the entrepreneurs betting on this segment. Three years ago, approximately, Botero, her mother, and sister, decided to evolve the family business and start constructing machinery for the agroindustrial sector.
Today, their Fruverfit brand has allowed this group of women to close deals in the national market and to work to obtain the required certifications in international trade.
According to ProColombia, the 10 main destinations for Colombian processed fruits and vegetables are the United States, with US $31.4 million (51.2% share); United Kingdom, with US $ 4.5 million (7.4%); Germany, with US $ 3.1 million (5.1%); The Netherlands, with US $ 3 million (4.9%), and France, with US $ 2.6 million (4.2%).
One of the main challenges that Botero has encountered on the road to internationalization is the certifications, which are very expensive.
Colombia has exported at least US $61 million in pulps, concentrates, dehydrated, freeze-dried, canned and frozen fruits of mango, passion fruit, gulupa, blackberry, papaya, and lulo, among other flavors, to more than 46 countries.
High quality raw material is fundamental for this type of business. Botero and her associates purchase their raw material from the department, the national market, and, sometimes, from abroad.
This segment already has a work plan for Tahiti lime, cape gooseberry, and gulupa.
Source: laopinion.com.co