“Asia offers the best long-term opportunities, and everything indicates that it'll be the first area that will recover in the world. It is complex to make projections, but we believe that, for example, the volume of imports from China will return to pre-COVID-19 levels in the last quarter of this year, while other countries will recover in the first half of 2021,” stated John Price, managing director of Americas Market Intelligence for the United States.
Price made this statement in the first PMA webinar, which brought together all of Latin America and an audience of 200 people online, who agreed that ensuring operational continuity is key to the business and that those who had certifications and carried out good practices were better prepared than those who didn't.
Antonio Martins, the commercial director of Linda Fruta do Brasil, stated that producing safe foods was key at this moment, and that, as a result of the current health crisis, there will be a greater connection between producer and final consumer after the pandemic ends.
Another conclusion of the webinar was that changes in consumer trends in Latin America and the world have led to an increase in preferences for functional products that benefit the immune system and health. In this sense, citrus fruits have had a boom. However, it's also been a good season for kiwis, garlic, ginger, and avocado, which has been a great surprise.
There has also been a strong demand for those products that have a longer shelf life, such as apples, stated Freddy Dauber, the president of Vidimport in Mexico and Panama. It has also been a positive time for the packaging and new channels to innovate and grow. Of course, this pandemic has led to restrictions leading to a slower supply chain and increased transportation costs.
The investment funds that have been interested in investing in agricultural production were also highlighted in this first 'PMA Talks: Latam'. which was moderated by Manuel Alcaino, the president of Decofrut, Chile.
Table grapes in Chile
The second version of the PMA Talks: Chile, titled 'What the Chilean table grape season left us', will be held at 9 am on Tuesday, June 9.
This panel will discuss in-depth topics such as international competition, varietal replacement, the effect of drought, and the COVID-19 health crisis. Christian Corssen, the general manager of the Santa Maria fruit company; Carolina Cruz, the President of Uvanova; Lorenzo Bauza, the President of Bauza Export; Cristian Ureta, the general manager of Exser, and Andro Vidal, the commercial manager of Subsole, will make up the panel.
You can register to attend this seminar at the following link.
For more information: www.pma.com 