Between July 2021 and February of this year, Brazil exported nearly 660 thousand tons of oranges. This is 1.02% less than in the same period of the 2020/2021 harvest. The decrease is attributed to the strong competition of the Mexican market in the US, the main buyer of Brazil's orange production.
Despite this decrease, citrus growers in the North of Minas Gerais expect to have positive national and international negotiations. And not just in 2022. Brazil is working to strengthen its competitiveness, which will further improve local production.
"We should strengthen the work, research, and development of professional producers who seek flavor and have a fruit that is desired throughout the national territory and also in the world. They must be passionate about achieving great flavor, not just for the opportunity in an export window,” stated Alencar Saito, an agronomist engineer at Agroforte, a company specialized in granting rural credit lines.
Producers' actions are also focused on the national market, where there are business opportunities throughout the year. "There is still a lot to be done in the domestic market before we think about exporting. There are production windows, there is demand for tasty products, something that hasn't been explored much in Brazil and in the world,” he stated.
Luiz Antunes, director of 2DA Negócios+Território, a company with extensive experience in brand positioning strategies and in strengthening leadership, said this expansion involves understanding the challenges of the region. "We must start looking to the large foreign centers and markets, understanding the expectations of each market, analyzing how the prominent players operate," he said.
Understanding consumer behavior, according to Luiz Antunes, can help bring producers closer to great opportunities. "We have to be aware of the cultural movements, national and international trends so that the territory can have guidelines and actions to strategically position itself. Overall, it all points to the development of the region as a whole.”
Source: Noticias Agrícolas / abrafrutas.org