Lebanese grower Fresh Products announces its entry into the European carrot and garlic market, following a successful experience in the Middle East and West African markets, according to its COO, Alaa Al Homsi.
© Alaa Al Homsi
The grower states: "We have been growing carrots for 15 years for the local Lebanese market, which has now reached a high level of self-sufficiency after previously relying on imports. We have therefore been focusing on exports for several years, after investing in planting and harvesting machinery, cold storage, and the development of varieties based on the Dutch model."
According to Al Homsi, the experience of exporting Lebanese carrots has proven to be successful and promising. He adds: "The Lebanese climate is conducive to the production of very high-quality carrots, which have a long shelf life and a high yield of between 80 and 100 tons per hectare. We have exported our carrots to several markets, such as Dubai, the DRC, the Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mauritania. We believe we are now ready to start exporting to Europe, especially since our varieties, technology, and production methods are inspired by those of the Netherlands, and we have Global Gap certification."
© Alaa Al Homsi
The success of carrot production has also prompted the grower to venture into the garlic sector, as he explains: "We found that Lebanese garlic could be very competitive on the market. We started trials three years ago, adopting Spanish varieties European White, Spring Violet, and Morado, and achieved very good yields of 17 tons of dry garlic per hectare. Our season runs from June to August for green garlic and until March for dry garlic, and we generally obtain cloves of sizes 50-55, 55-60, 60-65, and 65-70."
Al Homsi says he is not worried about competition in the region, particularly from Egypt. He adds: "Lebanese carrots and garlic will be very competitive on the European market. The varieties we use are different from those produced in Egypt and have a different taste. Our offering matches the varieties produced and preferred in Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Spain, taking advantage of Lebanon's excellent climate and very competitive prices for the European market. Logistics is not an obstacle, with a transit time of 20 to 25 days to Rotterdam," adds Al Homsi.
"We invite interested importers to join us at Fruit Attraction to find out more, at stand 14G12," the grower concludes.
© Alaa Al Homsi
For more information:
Alaa Al Homsi
Tel: +961 78 940 309
Email: [email protected]
www.freshproducts-lb.com
