Exports through the Port of Pecém dominate fruit shipments from Ceará, Brazil. In 2024, over 160,000 tons of fruit, valued at approximately R$ 1 billion, were exported. Ceará ranks fourth in fruit exports in the Northeast, following Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia, and Pernambuco. This year, Ceará has already exported about 30,000 tons.
While ports handle most shipments, air routes are gaining traction. A new Latam route connects Portugal and Fortaleza, enabling weekly exports of over 20 tons of fruit. Production centers include Icapuí, Aquiraz, Fortaleza, Itapipoca, and Aracati.
Itaueira, a melon producer in Bahia and Piauí, will resume production in Ceará in 2025. Aryan Schut, Itaueira's International Sales Manager, states, "Itaueira will resume producing melons in Ceará in the second half of 2025, after 7 years producing in the states of Bahia and Piauí. The resumption of activities in Ceará is a 'coming home' and a source of great joy for us."
Varieties like seedless mini watermelon and Cantaloupe will be tested, with exports primarily via sea through Fortaleza and Pecém. Advanced protocols ensure product quality during transport.
Edson Brok from Tropical Nordeste, a key banana exporter in Ceará, emphasizes sea transport. "The priority destination for Ceará's fruits is Europe," he notes, with the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain as primary markets.
Karina Frota of FIEC highlights Ceará's position in fruit exports, noting that 50% of Brazil's fruit exports pass through Ceará. She comments on the global economic climate, stating, "Many questions, few answers. The global economy has entered infertile ground."
Source: Abrafrutas