Some eight Honduran exporters are getting ready to participate in Fruit Logistica 2017. The fair will be held next year in Berlin, Germany, and more than 73,000 buyers from around the world are expected to attend it.
Honduras will participate jointly with Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama, said Adolfo Peña, the executive director of the Honduran-German Chamber of Commerce.
The five countries could take between 30 to 40 exporters; a similar number to Costa Rica, which is participating on it own because it already has developed a platform to do so, in part thanks to the state support that its export sector receives for such activity.
Peña stated that the Fruit Logistica was the world's largest fair and that it had originated in medieval times. He also said it represented an opportunity for Honduras and its neighboring countries to offer their products and to reduce costs.
Producers of okra, melon, sweet potato, rambutan, banana, mango, and avocado are preparing their strategies to differentiate themselves from other producing countries, such as El Salvador, that have experience in producing processed products.
Nicaragua will take its sesame seeds and cactus flower; Guatemala will participate with all kinds of vegetables, and Panama has grown exponentially in recent years, said Peña.
Peña said that the companies that wanted to participate in this important Fair would have to invest an estimated 4 to 6 thousand dollars for the stands, tickets, and hotel.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development (SDE), Honduran exporters are reluctant to participate in trade fairs, as many of them see them as an expense rather than an investment.
In that sense, the organizers think they should encourage the participation of Honduras, as assisting to such activities would allow them to access new markets and customers as well as take advantage of tariff benefits that the commercial instruments subscribed by a third parties offer.
Interestingly, the director of Fide, Vilma Sierra said, the image of Fruit Logistica 2017 is a melon; a situation that should be exploited to present the potential of this fruit and the rest of Honduras' exportable supply.
She also recommended training the participants of the fair so that they can fully profit from it by achieving contracts and future business.
