A group of fruit importers from six countries has been invited to take a closer look at Brazilian production in the sector and enjoy World Cup football matches first hand as part of the World Cup Buyer Project, organised by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and Brazilian fruit institute Ibraf. Overall, 12 foreign buyers were invited to visit the country during the tournament which kicks off today.
The delegation, which includes importers from Italy, the US, the UK, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will visit fruit farms, packhouses and offices as well as enjoying some football matches at different stages of the tournament.
Ibraf manager Paulo Filho believes the initiative will bring significant benefits for the fruit industry. He said a similar scheme was organised to coincide with last year’s Confederations Cup. “The results were amazing. Business took place even during the games and generated important sales opportunities,” he said.
Overall, Brazil exported 711,860 tonnes of fruit last year, an increase of 2.72 per cent in relation to 2012. Foreign sales generated revenue of US$ 657.52m, an increase of 6.26 per cent on the previous year.
