Bolivia is finally targeting at those delicious food/beverages we have, now the challenge is to find markets abroad! Mauricio Vasquez reports for El Deber:

Canning achachairú is the new bet

The mocochinchi is also packaged. They are looking for markets

Companies in the country producing canned diversify the range of products offered to the public, with fruits such as achachairuses, mocochinchis, grapes and pears with juice/syrup.

Ericka Velásquez, responsible for the commercial area of feeding Alimenta Industries, firm responsible for drawing up canned mocochinchis, indicated that the reason to industrialize this product was that there was a good market untapped.

Velasquez explained that the consumption of canned mocochinchis increased 40% this year. Sell 50 boxes of 12 units per month in 2011, currently sold 70 boxes a month. A tin of mocochinchis contains between 12 to 16 dried peaches and sold in Bs23.

It was reported that Alimenta industries also processes pineapples, strawberries and achachairuses preserved, although the latter in smaller amounts due it is a stationary fruit, also produce (mote) white corn, beans and Candy marmalades.

Víctor Salazar, administrative manager of the Ravi group, responsible of the Yacobs brand company, explained that they draw up strawberries, cherries and more recently canned pears.

Salazar indicated that the initiative to diversify its offer is due to the national market increasingly demands over these products.

Pears in syrup made from June were well received in the market. To date sold more than 3,000 units.

The bottle of 270 grams cost between Bs18 and Bs19.

According to Salazar, Santa Cruz has an annual consumption of about 100,000 varieties of Yacobs brand products.

In addition, adds that they make pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut (cabbage in brine) and locoto sauce.

By his side, Óscar Alvarado, commercial Manager of Dillman, stated that they processed pineapples, cherries, strawberries and grapes with juice.

The latter are the most recent in its offer and the jar costs Bs28.

Alvarado expresses that canned strawberries are their product with greater acceptance and the city that most consumes them is Santa Cruz, with nearly 2,608 units a month, figure that increases between 5% and 10% each year.

Makers of the surveyed companies agree that the penetration in the market of domestic products is slow, due to the lack of budget at the companies to do advertising campaigns and have a good distribution. [I’d say that the canning is also expensive, had we had that industry in country, we could produce at more competitive prices than our greatest competition: Argentina and Brazil whose canned products mostly come smuggled, that is at cheaper consumer prices]

A tour found that it is easier to acquire national canned in supermarkets than in the city’s markets.

Consulted on this point, the Economist Waldo López mentioned that a product success depends on distribution and advertising, which is just where national companies failed, but not by choice, but by a lack of money.

Lopez indicated that it is easier to work with supermarkets, because they have their own logistics, which is not the case with traders in the markets. This factor affects the price of canned, which varies from one place to another. [I beg to differ, as there are some supermarkets that require each industry to have its own personnel inside the supermarket, responsible for replenishing the stock at the shelfs]

For every taste

Product – price

Strawberries with juice Dillman Bs32.50

Cherry juice Dillman Bs35.40

Pineapples with juice Dillman Bs18.50

Grapes with juice Dillman Bs28

Mocochinchis Alimenta Bs23

Achachairú Alimenta Bs16.50

Strawberries Alimenta Bs17.50

Pears in syrup Yacobs Bs19

Cherry with juice Yacobs Bs33

Strawberries with juice Yacobs Bs32

http://www.eldeber.com.bo/el-achachairu-enlatado-es-la-nueva-apuesta/121124214048

Given all the constraint, my kudos to ALL those industries that make the effort to offer quality and innovative products!