The small Central American country known for the Panama Canal, has seen a steady increase in exports of exotic and tropical fruits such as pineapples and melons over the past 5 years. According to the Export and Investment Promotion Authority of Panama (PROPANAMA), their second involvement in Fruit Attraction yielded immediate results with exports of pineapples to Italy.
Damaris Pianetta, from ProPanama and producer Victor Caballero who is also the chairman of the Agricultural Production and development Cooperative of Panama.
There was an overall increase of buyers by 40%; the company LV Farms sent pineapples by air, the week right after the show in Madrid, to new markets such as Italy and closed deals with two clients they met at the Expo. Other participating companies met potential clients as well and are talking about future deals. One of PROPANAMA´s goals is for producers to increase their overall exports and expand their businesses. Dragon fruit producers from Panama showcased this fruit in Madrid where they announced exports will start in 2023.
This year 15 participating Panamanian companies attended the show, including: Agro Export Pacific, Potuga Fruit Company, Pink Lion, LV Farms, Gradum Advance Corp, Agropecuaria Riolindo, Inversiones JPW, Deshidratados E&A, Asociación Panameña de Productores de Pitahaya, Balboa Fruit Company¸ Panafruit, Fruits and Pineapple Panama, Exportagro Panama, Tropical Fruit Company and Agrotropical Sostenible.
“Fruit Attraction represents an excellent opportunity for our exporting companies to present our high-quality exportable offer to buyers from all over the world and especially to the European market,” stated Carmen Gisela Vergara, General Administrator of PROPANAMA.
The ProPanama team with some of the producers. The ladies from ProPanama in front are from left Damaris Pianetta, Yelsica Cabellero and Secretary General Carmen Gisela Vergara.
Matchmaking activities and networking at the fairs help achieve these goals. PROPANAMA also offers several tools for exporters on their website —such as links to statistical data, best freight search, and trade maps— guiding them through the exporting process.
According the PROPANAMA’s export promotion unit, Panama has exceptionally fertile soil and produces high quality fruits and vegetables for exports in the international markets. “This year at the fair, Panama exhibited a diversity of quality fruits, which have the sweetest brix and aroma. Furthermore, the country has invested heavily in the agricultural industry, leading to agricultural practices that make the difference,” stated Yelsica Caballero, chief of exports on behalf of PROPANAMA’s export unit.
The government of Panama has invested heavily in the growth of the agricultural industry, which leads to a favourable business environment. An example of this is the infrastructure investment, such as cold chain irrigation and storage projects, as well as the law established regarding agro parks that has market intelligence, technology and innovation and tax incentives as its main pillars. The revitalization of this sector leads to other complementary industrial opportunities, such as food processing and the research field.
The investments are showing in the export volumes over the past 5 years with increases of the following fruits: a 46% increase in fresh bananas, 63.5% increase in watermelons, more than doubling in papayas. They have also started to register small volumes of citrus and coco exports in the past 5 years according to statistics provide by PROPANAMA. The country exports to the Netherlands, US, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
Panama not only allows ships to sail along the famous canal. It is also aiming to make its high quality exports known in other markets around the world, and for that, PROPANAMA will be participating along with Panamanian exporters in more trade shows in the future, in countries such as Germany, Spain, USA and China, among others.
For more information:
Yelsica Caballero
PROPANAMA
Email: ycaballero@propanama.gob.pa
www.propanama.gob.pa