"China began shipping pears to Brazil almost two weeks ago. This is the first time that China has exported pears to Brazil. Market feedback shows that Brazilian consumers enjoy the fresh Chinese pears very much. We are already planning follow-up exports to Brazil." This is according to Mr. Guo Zhongtao, spokesperson for Hebei Cangzhou Botou Eastern Fruit Co., Ltd.
"The shipping conditions were not exactly stable in the period leading up to Chinese Spring Festival [25 January, 2020], so the shipping containers spent several days waiting in the port. Furthermore, the journey itself took longer as well. The Chinese pears officially entered the Brazilian market one month later than planned," explained manager Guo. "We have been selling our pears in the Brazilian market for almost two weeks now. We have already sold 32 tons of pears. Local business partners have provided us with feedback.
"The overall sales conditions are excellent. However, the delivery speed slowed down a lot. The main reason for this development is the global outbreak of COVID-19. Many wholesale markets in Brazil already closed down in response to the pandemic. Only a small number of supermarkets remains open. Consumer power is not very strong at the moment. However, sales figures indicate that Brazilian consumers enjoy the fresh Chinese pears a lot. There is still a lot of work left for us to raise awareness among potential customers. We still have a journey ahead of us," said manager Guo. "We initially planned to have an official promotional activity when the pears arrived in the port, but under these conditions, we decided not to organize crowded activities."
"Brazil currently imports fresh pears from Chile and Peru. Pears from South America require injections that encourage the ripening process, or customers need to leave the fruit for a while before they can eat the pears. Chinese fresh pears can be immediately consumed. Furthermore, the pears look beautiful and they are juicy.
"In addition, the harvest seasons in China and in South America are different because they are in opposite hemispheres. This allows Chinese pear export to complement the Brazilian market," explained manager Guo. "We therefore see a lot of potential in the Brazilian market. We are currently preparing our second shipment of fresh pears based on the figures that we received from our local business partners."
Hebei Cangzhou Botou Eastern Fruit has its own top-quality pear demonstration orchard that covers an area of 107 hectares, as well as a standardized orchard that covers an area of 6,400 hectares. "We distribute pesticide, fertilizer, and protective pouches to all our farmers to guarantee product quality. We also train our farmers in standardized management and large-scale green production methods. In addition to pears, we also export winter jujubes and apples. As we continue to develop our company and open up new markets, we will also expand the variety of fruit and vegetables that we make available to customers in overseas markets."
For more information:
Guo Zhongtao
Hebei Cangzhou Botou Eastern Fruit Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 18831700996
E-mail: [email protected]
