On Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 August, the annual IFPA took place in São Paulo, Brazil. During this event, a Belgian delegation was there again, consisting of Belgian Fruit Valley, Foodcareplus and VLAM, to highlight Belgian Conference pears in particular. "The timing of the event ideally coincides with the start of our new season, and it was plain to see right away that there was a lot of interest again," explains Marc Evrard of Belgian Fruit Valley.
"Normally the IFPA in Brazil takes place in the last week of August," he continues. "Now it was planned a bit earlier, so the picking of our long-term storage pears had yet to take place. This will be started on Monday, but it was already a great time to network and set up lines towards the new season. We were therefore able to notice a lot of interest from our current customers, but also from interested parties from other regions."
Competition by Portugal and Argentina
Marc indicates that Brazil could potentially be a big market for the Conference. "Brazil is of course a big country with an interest in pears. Historically, there has been competition from Portugal in this period. Additionally, because of its geographical proximity, Argentina also remains an important supplier from February. However, I think that, as Europe's largest pear-producing country, we can be ambitious. It has become clear that, globally, Belgium's relevance as a producer of pears is increasing. Even with a smaller harvest this season, we have a nice window of opportunity on the Latin American market."
He therefore expresses confidence, heading into next season. "In the last few weeks, we have had nice weather. There has been enough rain, with some sunshine, which will require the calibre predictions to be adjusted upwards. Therefore, I think it certainly doesn't look as bas as previously forecast, and that's going to help us. Moreover, we notice that in Northern Europe, there is structurally a more constant pear production than in countries like Italy, Spain or Portugal. That creates opportunities."
Investments
On the other hand, Marc says, there are challenges as well. "We see that our efforts are paying off, but it is obviously a long-term process. For instance, the Brazilian real features a less interesting rate for importers, compared to a strong euro. Moreover, Brazil remains a price-sensitive market, which also makes it difficult to achieve immediate results there. People can appreciate our fruit as much as they want, but at the end of the day, consumers have to be willing to pay for it."
This means that there is still a long way to go. "The market is definitely there. Initially the is only room for pears, because these sales are permitted, but in the future perhaps for apples and cherries as well. It is important to find the right balance between profitability and the extra work our growers have to put in to make the fruit ready for such exports, while also ensuring an acceptable price for the Brazilian consumer. Additionally, we have to be honest and admit that pears are not the first product on people's shopping lists. This means it is important to keep giving it attention commercially. In the Covid period, everything was on pause for a while, because no tastings could be organised. These are very important for a new product in a new market. Now, everything is 'go' again and towards next season we will again do everything possible to make people familiar with our quality fruit. The IFPA was a great starting for this."
For more information:
Marc Evrard
Belgian Fruit Valley
Email: [email protected]
www.belgianfruitvalley.be