The embassy of Brazil to Kuwait organized a seminar that discussed the production, export, logistics, and solutions to import Brazilian fruits to Kuwait. During his speech, Brazilian Ambassador to Kuwait Norton de Andrade Rapesta said that Brazil has the potential to produce almost all fruits in all seasons. However, other countries currently meet the growing international demand for differentiated varieties that were originally from Brazil.
“Brazil is not far from Kuwait as everybody thinks. It is just as far as the US. We have a variety of Amazon fruits. We can produce high quality fruits all year long because of our weather,” the ambassador said. He added that Brazil has the potential to export fruits to Kuwait directly if Kuwaiti companies organize the process well. “Normally, when a shipment comes from Brazil to Kuwait, it takes a long journey that goes through Africa, Dubai, and many other transits. We can ship it directly from Brazil to Kuwait through cargo, but we need the best form companies and consumers in Kuwait.”
He pointed out that the extraordinary biodiversity of Brazilian nature is reflected in the great variety of fruits from this country, hoping to see fruits from Brazil in the Kuwaiti markets soon.
Meanwhile, Counselor Claudia Assaf, Head of Commerce Promotion Department at the Embassy of Brazil, said that Brazilian fruit growers have been kicking goals in international markets, wondering of the reason that Brazilian fruits have not reached the Kuwaiti market yet.
“Why can’t the market in Kuwait have more than one kind of Brazilian fruits? Brazil’s total export in 2018 reached $240 billion for agribusiness products. Brazilian fruits come to Kuwait through mediate countries where the fruits’ cost will be more expensive than if it comes directly,” she noted.
She added that most countries that import Brazilian fruits know that the fruits have quality, productive and of good value so they can re-export to other countries especially GCC states where consumers look for quality. “The value exported in 2018 from Kuwait was $200,000 by a Kuwaiti company that imported their goods directly from Brazil,” she said.
She revealed that Qatar Airways announced that it has cargo flights twice a week from Brazil, suggesting that Kuwait must take advantage of that. “The prices of Brazilian fruits in Kuwait are high because of the distance and the mediations, and if we make it easier to reach the Kuwaiti market, it will be cheaper.”
