Q COSTA RICA – The nearly 15,000 kilometres that separates Costa Rica and China does not seem to intimidate Costa Rica pineapple exporters to place their product in that market.
The list of barriers that will see the first shipment of China is coming to an end. There only remains a technical visit to be made by Chinese authorities in order to complete the evaluation process and start exporting pineapples to China.
Estimates indicate that there are 20 companies interested in exporting pineapples to China.
Abel Chaves, president of the Cámara Nacional de Productores y Exportadores de Piña (Canapep) – National Chamber of Producers and Exporters of Pineapple, told Elfinancierocr.com that “… ‘Before thinking about production volumes we have to think about how much demand will grow, the pricing scheme that the market will have and the logistics to get the product there. But the answer to whether we can make the cut is yes.'”
According to the Promotora de Comercio Exterior (Procomer) – Foreign Trade Promotion Office, while the Costa Rica sold the equivalent of US$465 million in North America, in Asia barely US$5 million worth was sold.