Currently, India has approximately 1.441 billion inhabitants and represents a significant destination market for Chilean fruit. It is in this context that, between August 27 and 30, the “Chile Summit India 2024” will take place, marking the first governmental visit to India.
The event is organized by ProChile with the aim of strengthening institutional ties between Chile and India, as well as identifying opportunities for commercial cooperation and advancing agreements that promote the exchange of goods and services.
As part of commercial activities in India, the company Copefrut, one of the world's largest exporters of cherries, has decided to open an office in that market. Portalfruticola.com spoke with Andrés Nawrath, Commercial Director of Copefrut, who indicated that “it is a collaborative project, in a huge market that could present opportunities if we explore it more closely.”
He explained that currently, in terms of sales for the company, it represents no more than 1% of the total. When asked about India's growth potential, Nawrath emphasized that it is not yet clear, but “the potential for consumption is undoubtedly due to the population, but the best way to supply it remains uncertain.”
Despite a prosperous future, he added that the challenges are not insignificant, “especially due to the distance, maritime transits, culture, the multi-origin nature of the market, etc. It does not seem to be a natural market for South America.”
In this sense, he stated that, given the long transit time, the fruit must be resilient to long journeys. Furthermore, it is essential to offer products with a good quality/price ratio. Delving into the analysis, he explained that the fruits with the best projection are kiwis and cherries. These are the products “where we should find the most opportunities.”
Source: Portal Frutícola
Image: Smartcherry
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