The 13th Fenagri took place in Petrolina, in Brazil's north eastern São Francisco Valley last week and provided a showcase for one of the world's most interesting and potential filled production areas.

Opening the event, local mayor Fernando Coelho, pictured, talked of 'the most important production region in the country', and of the 'enormous untapped potential in the area for exports'.

Dorothea Werneck, head of Brazilian export promotional body APEX, praised the 'emphasis on quality and innovation in Petrolina. This region will help give Brazil a new image around the world, one of consistent quality and availability,' she said.

'To understand the potential of Brazilian fruit production, buyers from around the world should come to Petrolina.' The primary role of government-funded APEX, she told the Journal, has been to persuade Brazilian growers of the benefits of selling their fruit overseas. After 20 years of internal inflation, when volume rather than value has been a focal point, this has not been an easy task. Apex undertakes the private administration of public money, she explained.

'After such a long period of economic difficulty, the Brazilian growers had largely lost confidence, believing that their products were not good enough and there was too much competition,' she said. 'APEX aims to give them the commercial courage they require.

'It is becoming easier to convince growers to export and we have had some successes. My first point is that it is good to export and the second is if you are going to export, for goodness sake add value. There has to be co-ordination and we provide the leadership that is necessary to begin an export programme, through visits to target markets and technical support.' Werneck believes that it takes two years to build a company up to export standard and APEX is focusing largely on small and medium sized enterprises. Brazil still only exports two per cent of its horticultural production, but that will change in the next few years.

'We are moving fast in some areas and I would expect that figure to reach in the region of five per cent. It is a new government priority to open new markets and strengthen the ties of Brazilian exporters in existing markets,' she said.

For more information, see the Fresh Produce Journal this Friday and over the next few weeks.

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