Guatemala: Agritrade Expo & Conference to be held this week

The 18th edition of the Agritrade Expo & Conference will be held this week, on 23 and 24 March, in Santo Domingo del Cerro, Guatemala, and it is much more than a trade fair. There will be conferences and business meetings that will provide excellent opportunities to establish contacts with international companies.

Carlos Salazar, manager of the agricultural sector at AGEXPORT (Guatemalan Exporters Association), offered an interview to Radio TGW on 10 March, in which he spoke about the fair and the agricultural sector in Guatemala.

"We intend to unite and strengthen the agricultural sector of Guatemala, including producers, buyers and exporters, as well as all those who help strengthen the productive chain and reduce costs, and logistics service providers and packaging companies," stated Salazar.

The Agritrade fair, which will be attended by more than 200 producers and many other sector members, will have business rounds and a series of conferences on various topics, such as the so-called superfoods (to be given by the eminent Dr Armando Cáceres), the registration of pesticides; climate-smart agriculture; market patterns in the US, Canada and Europe; and, lastly, the necessary requirements to be able to export to the US. Furthermore, a couple of international chefs will cook special recipes with products grown in Guatemala.

According to Salazar, Guatemala's total agricultural exports are worth $10,600,000; a figure that has fallen by 2% over the last two years. These exports are divided into traditional ones, such as bananas, coffee, cardamom and sugar, and non-traditional ones, which include various vegetables, fresh and frozen fruits, ornamental dishes and rubber.