Nicaragua is one of the largest growers of organic pitayas in the world. To help local farmers access new markets, Burke Agro, which is a branch of Sol Organica S.A, aims to export three varieties to Europe: Lisa, Rosa and Orejona. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing many challenges for export including steeply increased air freight rates, Burke Agro’s export plans had to be postponed. However, Burke Agro is on track to export certified organic red pitayas to Europe in 2022.
A little pitaya goes a long way
Native to Central America, pitaya was introduced to Asia over a century ago, where it was rebranded as ‘dragon fruit’. Nowadays, this is what European consumers are more familiar with. But Burke Agro is keen for the market to re-discover Nicaraguan varieties, says Will Burke, CEO of Burke Agro.
“Nicaraguan pitahaya varieties are higher in certain attributes than their Asian counterparts. For example, red pitaya is high in iron, antioxidants, B vitamins and magnesium, and contains also more fibre than the Asian variety, giving it’s denser texture. The main difference is the betalain present in red pitaya. Nicaraguan pitaya is a beautiful and vibrant fuchsia inside and out. It can be used for dyes, and even has the potential to be used in food coloring. A little red pitaya goes a long way. To give smoothies an attractive color for example, it takes 75% more Asian pitaya to achieve the same level of pinkness that you achieve with red pitaya.”
Consumers crave organic and sustainable
Burke Agro’ started in 2007, when Burke saw a growing demand among consumers for organic and sustainable products. Research also showed that smallholder farmers in Nicaragua lacked the resources and knowledge they needed to meet this demand. “Burke Agro was founded to help bridge the gap. Our mission is to support micro farmers through technical assistance, organic input and financial literacy. Currently, we help about 1,200 micro farmers transition from conventional to organic farming.” Burke explains.
“To help these smallholder farmers access the global market, Burke Agro also sources and sells their certified organic fresh fruit, with a strong focus on red pitaya. ‘Pitaya is a climate-resilient plant. It can withstand droughts very well, so encouraging farmers to focus on this product is a market-based solution to the poverty and migration issues in the area.”
People and planet first
As a company, Burke Agro is committed to benefiting people and planet first. In 2017 it became a certified B Corporation, and they also are Fairtrade, organic and HACCP certified, and working towards GLOBALG.A.P. status. “Ethical business practices are part of the company’s DNA and the impact this organic programme has is clear,” Burke says.
“As farmers learn how to improve their soil health and their yield, their land becomes profitable and their children see the potential. At Burke Agro, we believe that making long-term investments is the solution to encouraging future generations to see farming as a viable option. At the moment, that means giving smallholder farmers the tools they need, and help them access European buyers interested in organic fresh fruit with a transparent sourcing story.”
Click here to make a Virtual Farm Tour at Bukre Agro
Meet them in a virtual B2B meeting via the CBI B2match platform
You can also get in touch or find out more via the Burke Agro website, or its Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
Burke Agro is being promoted by the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) within its the Connecting Central America initiative. This initiative is co-financed by the European Union and coordinated by the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA).
For more information:
Will Burke
Burke Agro
Tel: +505 25353697
Email: wburke@burkeagro.com
www.burkeagro.com
Piet Schotel
Email: piet@fruitconsultancy.nl
Tel: +31 6 53381897