"Latin America already surpasses Europe as a destination for Chilean fruits"

Chile has been present at international fairs for years. However, according to Ignacio Caballero, Marketing Director of Frutas de Chile, the country's presence in the second edition of Fruit Attraction São Paulo is consolidating a regional meeting point in South America that allows it to look beyond the traditional destinations in the northern hemisphere. This fair, promoted from Spain, is opening new doors within the South American continent, Caballero stressed.

"South America has always been a supplier for the northern hemisphere. Interestingly, we are now looking to generate a great meeting point from our region," Caballero said. This year, Chile intensified its participation with a delegation of close to 60 companies and more than 120 registered participants. "This is an important number considering that it is only the second edition," he added.

"Brazil presents itself as a market of opportunities and challenges. It is a large producer and consumer of fruits, but its offer is mainly focused on tropical varieties. This opens a strategic window for other fruits, such as kiwi, grapes, apples, cherries, and plums, for which demand has been increasing. There are many fruits that Brazil doesn't have. That's where opportunities lie," Caballero points out.

One of the challenges is conquering Brazilian consumers with products that aren't too common in their diet. "That requires changing their diet a bit, which is always a nice challenge. We have experience doing this," he said, confident in the Chilean sector's capacity to adapt.

The advantages, in terms of logistics, are clear: "We can arrive by truck, in fewer days, which allows for very good opportunities." From a strategic perspective, the turnaround is significant. "Latin America, led by Brazil, already surpasses Europe as a destination for our exports. The greater the diversity of markets we have, the better we can do," he added.

Caballero is optimistic about the potential of the fair in São Paulo. "The first Fruit Attraction in Madrid was not as big as the first one in São Paulo. This second edition of the fair welcomed more than 15,000 participants and has the potential to surpass other important fairs in the region in a few years."

As for the export campaign, the context is complex. "It's been a challenging year. There is a lot of fruit, and when there is a lot of volume, the markets become saturated. Despite this, there's been a tangible growth in volume and quality. Expectations are especially focused on kiwi and apple, which have been important products in this edition of the fair," he stated.

For more information:
Ignacio Caballero
Fruits from Chile
Tel: +56 9 9994 2947
Email: icaballero@frutasdechile.cl
www.frutasdechile.cl