From November 5 to 9, Guatemalan entrepreneurs from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors will be visiting the US city to explore business opportunities with local buyers.
Representatives from the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) reported that theTradeMissionto Chicago is geared towards companies that export fresh and manufactured products geared towards the retail segment. The main objective is the opening and positioning of the Guatemalan exportable supply in the third largest city in the United States, Chicago, in Illinois.
In Costa Rica, the productive activity of agricultural goods destined for domestic consumption has been stayed low in recent years, despite the fact that most benefit from the protection afforded by the tariffs imposed on imports of some similar goods.
The Central Bank of Costa Rica calculates the Monthly Index of Agricultural Activity (Imagro), which includes an item called "agricultural products", which monitors the production of basic grains, cereals, pulses and other oil seeds, vegetables, roots and tubers, cane, coffee and fruit trees, which are usually intended for domestic consumption.
A Taiwanese company has paid $803 for a pound of geisha coffee produced in the province of Chiriqui, surpassing the highest price of $601 paid for a grain of this type.
In the online auction 'The Best of Panama 2018', the Asian company Black Gold Coffee Co paid the highest amount per pound that has been registered for a coffee of the geisha variety, buying it from Elida Geisha Green Tip Natural which produces the grain in the District of Boquete.
The lot that this year was best quoted in the international electronic auction reached $30 thousand per hundredweight, and the grain comes from the canton of Dota, Los Santos zone, Costa Rica.
The high quality coffee that received the best quote in the international electronic auction in the Cup of Excellence contest is from the Don Cayito farm, with a price of $30,009 per hundredweight.
With the purpose of generating new business relationships, representatives of the Honduran government have met with a group of buyers of fruits and vegetables from Dubai.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras stated that on June 4 representatives from the institution held a meeting with the Group of Fruit and Vegetable Buyers of Dubai, composed of Arab business leaders who showed their interest in establishing commercial ties with the Central American country.
In Guatemala, agricultural entrepreneurs insist that opportunities will be lost if the agreement is not signed, while industrialists propose analyzing the conditions in more detail.
The National Coffee Association believes that the Ministry of Economy has abandoned talks with the Korean government, which harms them since the Asian country is a growing market that recognizes the quality of the grain.
From July 30 to August 1, a business meeting will take place between business leaders in the region and Chilean companies from the forestry, agriculture, manufacturing and seafood sectors.
From a press release by ProChile:
The event will be held in Guatemala City, between July 30 and August 1, and will bring together about 120 buyers from all over the region.In total, there will be 60 places for Chilean entrepreneurs in the forestry and agricultural sector, industry-manufactures and seafood.
In Guatemala, a workshop to train professionals from the Central American region on the use of the Regional Integration System for Health Registries is being organized for June 18.
From a statement issued by the Sieca:
The Center for Studies for Economic Integration (CEIE) at the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA) is organizing a workshop to train professionals from the Central American region on the use of the Regional Integration System for Health Registries (SIRRS).The objective is to promote the use of the IT platform and train personnel in the private sector in its use and exploitation.
In the first quarter of 2018, imports grew slightly compared to the same period in 2017, driven by growth of third countries, with 11% of the total.
From a report by Procomer:
In the first quarter of 2018, Spanish imports of fruits and vegetables grew slightly in relation to the same period in 2017, totalling 823,145 ton, driven by growth of other countries, with 11% of the total.Meanwhile, purchases from the European Union (EU) went down by 5%, standing at 464,738 tons, according to data from the General Directorate of Customs.
Over the last few weeks the exporters trade union has canceled several shipments abroad, due to the risk involved in moving the cargo through blocked roads.
The Association of Coffee Exporters of Nicaragua (Excan), warned that "...At the moment these cancellations can be renegotiated with buyers to avoid serious consequences, but the longer this crisis extends, the effects for exporters and the country could be irreversible."
In Guatemala, two importing companies claim not to be able to bring in this type of fruit imported from Mexico, because the Ministry of Agriculture requires them to present a phytosanitary certificate that their suppliers do not issue.
Because the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) of Guatemala, requires a phytosanitary export certificate which must indicate that avocados coming into the country are free of the Sunblotch virus, since May 11 importing companies have not been able to bring in the product.
Between 2016 and 2017, cocoa exports plummeted by 41%, going from $227 million to $134 million, a reduction largely explained by weather conditions.
According to representatives from the sector, in order to boost the crop in the country investment needs to be made in replacing plantations, as the performance currently recorded shows far from ideal figures.
In the agricultural sector fair held days ago in San Pedro Sula, more than two thousand business appointments were made between companies from 21 countries.
The event was held on May 17 and 18, and according to its organizers among the products that registered the highest demand were oriental vegetables, fresh vegetables, fruits and special coffees.
As it has not yet been possible to send the samples abroad due to the crisis felt across the country, the association of special coffees has decided to postpone the online auction until June 19.
The initial date of the electronic auction of coffee samples in the Cup of Excellence competition was scheduled to be June 5, but since samples could not be sent to international buyers, a decision was taken to postpone it by a few days.
The market for fresh fruits and vegetables in this European country amounts to $25 billion, mostly in fruits, while processed vegetables amount to just over $4 billion.
From a report by Procomer Costa Rica entitled "Opportunities for marketing fresh and processed fruits and vegetables in Italy":
The fresh fruit and vegetable market in Italy is USD 25,071 mn, mostly fruit (68%), and the processed market is USD 4,272 mn in 2017.Both have opportunities to supply the food industry and, specifically the fresh ones, to enter the retail trade in the Italian off-season and with exotic products.