The Middle East, one of the regions with the highest food dependency worldwide, is showing an increasing interest in Chilean fruit. Exports of nuts, fresh apples, fresh grapes, and frozen berries to this region are increasing, stated Ivette Acevedo, the operations manager of the Chilean company Juhinej, which specializes in exporting berries, grapes, and kiwis and has sent fruit to the Middle Eastern market for the first time.
"Our forte is frozen organic fruit, in particular, blueberry and raspberry" Acevedo stated. Up until this year, the company exported its products to North America, Europe, Asia, and some Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. However, it was not present in the Middle East. "That's why we are so happy with this first purchase order from Dubai, which we have just shipped by sea. We shipped out 300-gram ready to consume organic raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry sachets. The sachets are labeled in Arabic so they can be sold directly in supermarkets."
Carlos Salas, ProChile's commercial attaché in Dubai, highlighted that Juhinej's fruit will be sold in the United Arab Emirates' most important organic retail chain: Organics Food and Cafe.
The ship takes 37 days to go from the Chilean ports to the United Arab Emirates. "The entire load has a digital temperature control system, which guarantees the cold chain throughout the trip." The organic fruit comes from the Ñuble, Bio Bio, and La Araucania regions. "However, 90% of our suppliers are concentrated in the commune of Coihueco," Acevedo said.
“This new destination is a good sign. It shows that, despite the difficult times we are experiencing, it is possible to continue working on our exports, diversifying markets at a very important moment to guarantee the income and livelihood of thousands of families in the Chilean countryside,” stated the regional director of ProChile Ñuble, Ingrid Quezada.
"Ñuble is the biggest producer and exporter of berries in Chile, especially of blueberries. It is also the region with the most organic producers, about 600 certified farmers, especially of berries, apples, kiwis, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, according to data from the Association of Organic and Agroecological Farmers of the Ñuble Region," Quezada assured.
Source: diarioconcepcion.cl