With the objective of providing farmers and entrepreneurs of Guanajuato with fundamental tools for business development in Holland and Europe, the workshop “How to export agricultural products to Europe” was held in Guanajuato.
The event was held thanks to the Promotion Coordination of Foreign Trade of the State of Guanajuato (Cofoce) and the Association of Producers of Michoacán, said Ángel González Méndez Garmendia, director of the Agroalimentary Sector of that organization.
During 2017, Guanajuato exported more than 58.1 million US dollars to the Netherlands and the agrifood sector was the second most important with a value of 9.2 million US dollars.
The Guanajuato municipalities that export to that country are Salamanca, Cortázar, San José Iturbide, León, Pénjamo, Irapuato, Silao, Celaya, Purísima del Rincón, San Miguel de Allende and Apaseo el Grande.
Among the most important products that are exported to the Netherlands are jojoba oil, sesame seeds, pepper seeds, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, onions, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and tortillas. But the state of Guanajuato also exports tequila, rum, vodka and agave distillates to that European country.
In this context, González Méndez stressed that this workshop will help producers in Guanajuato to showcase their products, and expand their commercial horizons to new destinations in Europe.
“With this type of actions, and in collaboration with the Association of Producers of Michoacan and the Dutch embassy in Mexico, the producers of Guanajuato have better commercial opportunities” he said.
Thirty-five Guanajuato based companies participated in this workshop, including producers of asparagus, avocado, and chilli pepper, who are in search of protected cultivation technology.
Other institutions such as ProMéxico, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, the Secretariat of Agri-Food and Rural Development SAGARPA, and Guanajuato Premium Zone also participated in this event, in order to identify the appropriate size, volumes and type of product that may be suitable for the European market.
Finally, González Méndez declared that in the particular case of berries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and asparagus, the next step for local producers is to acquire the Global Certification G.A.P.
Source: El Economista