On 1 October the first container of pineapples from Panama was exported to China, marking the start of a Panama government initiative to promote its produce in China.
This shipment, featuring pineapples grown in the La Chorrera region, will be the first of 12.5 containers per week, set to be sent to Beijing in the coming months.
Tomás Solís, head of agribusiness of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, said the company supplying the bananas, Ananas Trading Panama, plans to increase exports from 12.5 containers per week to 25 in 2020.
Solís added he expects pineapple exports will double from 25 to 50 containers per month in 2021 and within 5 years they will reach 100 containers per week.
Sergio Vargas from Ananas Trading Panama, said his company would not just be targeting China, but wanted to export the product to 20 countries in Europe, the US, South America and the Caribbean.
