Extremadura's fruit sector is responsible for the largest number of shipments to Brazil. A good part of them are made by Naturcrex, a firm working with this market for twelve years. It all started with a trade mission, and last season 3,500 tonnes of peaches, plums and nectarines were exported (10% of the entire production). "Without a market like Brazil, times would be tougher," stresses Pedro Mansilla, Commercial Director of Naturcrex, who highlights that "we have seen a change in the country's philosophy. In the past, they wanted everything from the United States, but Spanish fruit is becoming more desirable." In this regard, he affirms that Extremadura's fruit producers have gained ground because they knew how to adapt to Brazilian preferences in terms of appearance and flavour, opening a market "with almost 200 million inhabitants."
Regarding the setbacks that exporting to Brazil brings, he mentions "maritime transport. We depend on harbours such as Algeciras and Lisbon, which act as a bottleneck." And once the product arrives, he explains that the infrastructures of Brazilian providers and the shortcomings in terms of transport do not make it easy to maintain "the storage conditions that the fruit needs."
Brazil is not the only emerging market receiving Naturcrex's shipments. The firm also exports to Russia, where it commercialises 1,500 tonnes. In this market "they demand harder fruit in larger sizes."
Source: Elperiodicoextremadura.com
