Fresh Plaza reports:
Bolivia exports chestnuts to Europe through an alternative route
Bolivia began exporting chestnut to European markets via an alternative route through Brazil, so as to reduce the time it takes to transport the product there, the Northern Exporters’ Chamber (Cadexnor) told Prensa Latina.
According to the president of Cadexnor, Agustin Vargas, the route includes the passage through the Bolivian cities of Riberalta and Guayaramerin, and the Brazilian of Porto Velho Manaus, an old route for rubber.
The sector made the decision to return to this route to confirm that the transport of the products to the Atlantic ports through Brazil takes between 40 and 45 days to reach the European market, while they take 70 to 75 days to arrive in the same destination through the reverse route, through Chile and the Pacific.
Vargas said that Cadexnor worked with the governments of both countries to be able to use that alternative route. “This route is normally occupied by Brazilians, and they have opened their doors for us to use it,” he said.According to the manager, the Andean country is the leading exporter of chestnuts since 1996 and in 2015 it achieved a record after making 200 million sales in Europe and South America, generating an average of 170 million dollars per year in exports.
Currently, Bolivia accounts for 80% of the international volumes, followed by Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, which together account for the remaining 20%.
The chestnut industry represents 75% of the economy of the northern Amazon region of Bolivia; however, production of this fruit is at risk due to climate change.
Source: marcotradenews.com
Bolivian Thoughts opinion: Clear example how private sector looks after the best possible outcome and the government provides support, nothing more.
Bolivian Thoughts 
The nuts shown here are not “Chestnuts” but rather a nut most commonly referred to as the “Brazil Nut”.
Chestnuts are a “nut” produced traditionally in the southern part of Europe, with Portugal as a large producer. It is probably the Portuguese connection which is leading to this confusion of names as the name of the nut produced in Portugal is “castanha” and Bolivians, I believe, refer to Brazil nuts as “castaña”. The worlds largest producer of chestnuts is, I believe, not in Europe, as China is a very large producer. The chestnuts produced there have nothing to do with the hard husked Brazil nut, of which Bolivia is the world leading producer/exporter. The Brazil nut has, as per the photograph a hard husk and is held inside a further outer hard husk also as shown.
Chestnuts on the other hand have a relatively thin flexible husk of, not surprisingly, a chestnut color and are contained in an also relatively soft and flexible outer cover with somewhat soft spines on it.
Exactly, thanks for noticing it. The original source used the word “chestnuts” and is castaña here in Bolivia, worldwide known as Brazilian nuts.
So, you and I stand correct but the original writer. That is why I placed at the end, the original website link.