The month of September is the time to leverage the Ceará market with shipments of fruit, mainly to Asia and Europe. The period is known as the season for melon and watermelon exports. Last year, Ceará was the third largest exporter of this type of food in the country (US$ 178 million), behind only Pernambuco (US$ 244 million) and Bahia (US$ 191 million). For this year, however, there are fears that Russia's war against Ukraine, logistical issues and other reasons will negatively impact.
Looking ahead, into the fruit export season in 2022, industry experts predict a positive scenario. However, the representative entity believes in the possibility of a drop between 15% and 20% in sales volume.
The manager of the International Business Center of the Federation of State Industries (Fiec) , Karina Frota, highlights that, traditionally, the second semester is the best period for Ceará's exports. Another point is the global concern with a healthier lifestyle, including fruits and vegetables in the daily diet, driving the demand for the product grown in Ceará.
In this context, for Frota, despite the problems caused by the war and the increase in the cost of freight at the beginning of the year, the expectation is for a volume of sales similar or higher than last year.
Source: abrafrutas.org