Peruvian fresh produce exporter Sobifruits is looking at growth across the board in 2014.
Speaking to Eurofruit at Expoalimentaria in Lima, commercial executive Carlos Arancibia Antinori explained that his group is mirroring Peru´s growing standing internationally, forecasting an increase in shipments of the company´s main products - mangoes and table grapes - this year.
'In 2013, we exported 350,000 boxes of mangoes, with Europe our primary market - particularly Germany, Spain and Switzerland,' he said. 'This year, we predict that will increase to 400,000 boxes.
'Last year we shipped 200 containers of table grapes, and that should increase to 250-280 containers this year,' he added.
Sobifruits exports grapes to Europe, Asia - mainly China - and Russia, with the current ban on European, US, Canadian, Norwegian and Australian imports offering an opportunity for the company.
'We are expecting exports to Russia to increase this year, but it is balanced out by higher freight rates as we ship directly to the country,' he noted.
In addition, Sobifruits is aiming to tap into the growing demand for the country´s blueberries, sending a first-ever shipment of the fruit to Thailand this year, while Antinori also confirmed that the group is looking at Hong Kong and France as potential future markets for its products, mainly due to tempting prices.
