Fruit from the state of Pará, in the North of Brazil, are pleasing the taste of foreign consumers. From January to March, exports of fruit juice from the Brazilian state totaled to US$ 9.4 million, representing growth of 203% over the same period of last year.
The figures were supplied by the Pará State Secretariat for Development, Science and Technology (Sedect).
The main destination countries were the United States, Chile, Japan, Argentina and the United Kingdom. According to a release issued by the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf), the exotic flavors of fruit from Pará are among the factors that contributed to the expansion of juice exports.
According to the superintendent director of the Ibraf in northern Brazil, Sergio Menezes, assai was the main fruit responsible for the rise in sales.
"The reason for that is the huge success that assai has enjoyed in the American market. It is by far the main reason for the upward curve in exports of processed fruit from Pará," asserted Menezes.
Of the US$ 9.4 million in fruit juice exports, approximately 95% derived from assai, also known as açaí and acai according to figures supplied by the Sedect.
One of the Pará-based companies whose flagship is assai pulp is Bela Iaçá, which started exporting approximately three years ago, and in a short while conquered customers in the United States, Canada and Japan. Of the average output of 70 tons per day, around 60% is exported.
Anba
