During the last year and a half, the production and export from the various Central American countries were faced with quite some challenges. Hurricanes, floods but also periods of drought did big damage to the various crops or delayed at least the normal harvest periods. The Covid-pandemic came, as it did in other parts of the world, with lack a of available freight options, a lack of containers and sky-high sea and air freight rates.
“For the Nicaraguan red pitaya and roots, Honduran Okra, Sweet Potatoes and oriental vegetable products all this meant a dip in production and or export figures in 2020 and 2021. Still, as producers all over the world are always optimistic, the new year with a new crop is expected to be better and more profitable,” said Piet Schotel, external sector expert for CBI. He visited a number of companies during the last weeks in Nicaragua and Honduras. The visited companies are participants in the CBI export coaching program for Central America. Colleague Arno van der Made visited the participants in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama.
Schotel states: “It was amazing to see the spirit under the various participants of the program; the better weather lately and the stabilizing freight costs, combined with a growing demand from Europe created a positive feeling in general. The companies in the program were trained and coached by CBI during the last 3 years and participated in the Fruit Logistica 2020. The last year unfortunately the coaching had to be done online, but that being the reality, it also worked well.”
The participants became all Global G.A.P. certified and through thorough online Corporate Social Responsibility training prepared for social compliance certificates where and when asked.
“We visited companies in Honduras; Agricola Antar, Campo Verde and Ginger Export produce Okra in the different varieties and Oriental vegetables. As the name already says; Ginger export also produces organic certified Ginger. Proveco and Del Valle are producers of Sweet Potatoes. White flesh, orange flesh and trials with purple flesh. Del Valle has for a part also organic certified production.” Schotel explains.
“In Nicaragua Burke Agro produces organic certified Red Pitahaya, not only a beautiful product but also tasty and nutritious. The mother company Sol Organico produces frozen juices and pulp, next to Pitahaya, Maracuja, banana and other tropical fruits. Fruvex in Nicaragua is a producer and exporter of various roots and tubers; Cassava, Malanga, Eddo and other. Quite basic staple products but with a growing consumption in Europe.
“For 2022 the companies were invited for the Fruit Logistica fair in Berlin in February. As it looks now this will only be in April, but the companies are eager again to meet the European buyers at that time.” Schotel concludes.
Make the virtual Farm tours at CBI Connecting Central America | Facebook. Some companies can be reached in a virtual B2B meeting via the CBI B2match platform.
You can also get more information about these and other companies at the CBI event page.
The companies are 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:
Piet Schotel
CBI
Fruit Consultancy Europe
Email: [email protected]
Mob: +31 6 53381897