Friday August 23rd, 2024

The Brazilian fruit export market is still seen as modest domestically, although it is the third largest in the world and has potential for expansion – since only 3% of national production is sold abroad. According to data from Abrafrutas – Brazilian Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Derivatives, Brazil is behind only China and India. 

But do you know exactly how Brazilian fruits reach international markets? The sales process begins when a country is interested in Brazilian products. According to Erika Campelo, commercial director at FTrade, payment always occurs after the logistics process, and the sales value can be defined in different scenarios. One of them is the fixed price established from the moment the goods arrive at their destination. There is also the possibility of negotiating a guaranteed minimum price, in which a value for the product is added to the sale to the consumer, which may vary according to quality, quantity in stock and time of year. She also mentions consignment negotiation, which is completely open with no minimum values ​​and is subject to market conditions. Consignment sales are not the best alternative for the producer-exporter.

Fruits sent via air freight tend to be the most delicate, and therefore need to arrive at their destination in a state of readiness for consumption. Shipping and distribution are fast, in a market where consumers are willing to pay a higher added value for the quality and efficiency of air freight. Erika Campelo explains that the quantities sent via sea freight tend to be larger, while air freight tends to be more specific and exclusive. These fruits are even identified by labels indicating that they were transported by plane: “They know that it is a more expensive fruit, but they know that it is of higher quality. Companies that work with air logistics have an area dedicated to this process for a target market identified for this type of fruit”, she explains.

 

Tropical freshness

Throughout the entire production chain, from harvesting to distribution of the fruit, there is a concern that the product is fresh from the beginning to the end of the process, so that it reaches the end consumer in the right conditions. In the maritime logistics process, the shortest transportation time is eight days, when the cargo leaves Brazil and is sent to Spain. Longer processes can take up to two weeks. To ensure the quality of the fruit, transportation takes place in refrigerated containers and even in controlled atmospheres, which slow down ripening. 

The main importing countries are demanding regarding pesticide residues and pest control. The United States, for example, requires that mangoes undergo heat treatment and that this treatment be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Grapes, on the other hand, must undergo a fifteen-day cooling process to ensure compliance with phytosanitary measures. The producing farms are also regularly visited by the competent bodies of the importing countries to be evaluated and certified for export.

Erika Campelo points out that the export process requires financial and bureaucratic investments from fruit producers. Detailed knowledge of the fruit produced and a willingness to seek certifications and processes that meet the quality and export requirements of importing countries are required. Although the process is viable for small producers and the initial costs have a guaranteed return, many choose to operate only in the domestic market, as the change requires leaving their comfort zone.

For Erika, internationalization is an opportunity for producers who want to make money with the rise of the dollar and euro, in addition to also benefiting the Brazilian consumer market: “The domestic market is also much more demanding. Today, we consumers buy the same products that are sold abroad. When producers adopt export processes, they improve their production efficiency and, consequently, their profits, and the domestic market ends up benefiting from better quality fruit as well,” she concludes. 

 

About Frutas do Brasil

Abrafrutas (Brazilian Association of Fruit and Derivatives Producers and Exporters), in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), is committed to promoting the growth of Brazilian exporters. This project aims to expand its business, open new markets, highlight Brazilian fruits’ qualities and encourage the consumption of high-quality and tasty fruits.

 

About Abrafrutas

The Brazilian Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruit and Derivatives (Abrafrutas) is a non-profit association whose purpose is to represent and promote Brazilian fruit growing in the international market. Created in 2014, Abrafrutas has approximately 70 associated fruit exporters and holds approximately 85% of the total volume of fresh fruit exported by Brazil.