Brazilian farmers arrived in Chile on August 31 for a trade mission focused on bee products.
The Brazilian rural entrepreneurs conducted technical visits, met potential local buyers, attended seminars, and followed the entire program of the Apimondia Congress. This is the most important event in the beekeeping sector.
A total of 38 people are taking part in the program, including rural producers and partner institutions. The mission begins with a seminar in which the entrepreneurs will learn more about regulatory issues for bee products in Chile, as well as certifications, importing, and distributing products on the Chilean market.
The seminar has the support of the Brazilian Embassy in Chile and representatives of the Chilean government. “They will explain to entrepreneurs how to access the Brazilian honey market in the country,” explains Rodrigo da Matta, CNA’s trade promotion coordinator. At the end of the meeting, the farmers will take part in a business round with Chilean buyers.
The program goes on with technical visits to put Brazilian rural entrepreneurs in direct contact with distributors and buyers, always focusing on commercial areas of interest.
The whole experience concludes at the International Beekeeping Congress (Apimondia Santiago). The group will take part in a guided tour of the event, where entrepreneurs will contact Chilean buyers through business meetings and presentations at the ApexBrasil stand.
“We’re talking about five days of commercial activities. We’re going to hold business meetings according to the farmers’ and buyers’ profiles,” explains Rodrigo. “If a small producer in the group has a specific type of honey from different blooms, we’ll find buyers interested in this product. That’s the path to good business prospects.”
The path to export beekeeping products
This initiative is part of the Agro.BR project, a partnership between CNA and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). The program aims to expand and diversify Brazil’s export portfolio.
The beekeeping sector is one of the project’s priorities. Three hundred rural entrepreneurs produce honeybee products and are supported to ease the path to export. The project includes consultancy, a digital portfolio in several languages, training, and constant support for producers.
Brazil produces large quantities of honey every year. In 2021, revenue from the honey market grew by 76% compared to 2020, reaching US$ 163 million. Almost 47 tons of the product reached international markets.