Attractive opportunities for Chilean food in France

12/04/2015

France is one of the most attractive markets worldwide for food exporters, since the domestic year almost US $ 40 billion in different categories of these products, which opens attractive options for countries like Chile.

In fact, in the last seven years, food exports to the Gallic nation went from US $ 49.917.362 in 2007 to US $ 104.623.610 at the end of last year, which is equivalent to an increase of 110%, according to the diffraction of the base of foreign trade data of Chilealimentos.

Of this total exported in 2014, the 68% corresponds to processed foods, which added more than US $ 70 million, highlighting products such as mussels (category that gathers cholgas, choros and mussels), frozen berries and nuts without shell.

These last ones stand out especially by the explosive increase in the shipments that they have had in seven years to that market, with a rise of 914%, according to data of ProChile.

There were also significant growths in exports of honey and salmon, which doubled and almost tripled between 2010 and 2014, respectively, with amounts in excess of US $ 60 million and US $ 7 million in each case, with Chile being the main supplier of salmon and the eighth of honey, one of the products with better perspectives.

When analyzing the evolution of shipments of goods from Chile - without considering copper - the rise has been 15% in the last four years. However, in agricultural products the increase was 43% and in those of the sea, 28%, according to figures from ProChile.

Auspicious Perspectives

When studying the opportunities that exist to keep gaining ground among the processed foods in France, the figures are auspicious, since Chile currently covers only the 0,1% of what they import.

In this sense, the general manager of Chilealimentos, Guillermo González, assures that there are good possibilities for frozen, preserved, dehydrated and juiced national products.

The vision coincides with the director of ProChile, Roberto Paiva, who emphasizes that in seven years, products such as fruit powder are those that have grown the most in shipments.

González comments that France is the fifth most important market for shipments from Chile to the European Union (EU) and that it has «a wide offer of good quality products to supply that market, to which is added the existence of the free trade agreement«.

Faced with these opportunities, he adds that, if the current trend continues, Chilean processed food exports to France should double in the next ten years. «However, given the process of value aggregation that is being done by the Chilean industry, it is very likely that this value will grow even more.«, he projects.

Where there are options

For food imports, the director of ProChile explains that France is mainly internal from its neighbors in the EU, especially from Spain, Germany and Belgium. Without acknowledging that in this area Chile is a small supplier, it insists on the need to take advantage of the advantage of the off-season, and the wide range of agri-food products and the sea.

Regarding trends, Roberto Paiva explains that there is a high interest in healthy, organic and fair trade foods.

«At 2014 we saw incipient shipments of natural and organic products such as organic grape wine, organic blueberries, mineral water, fruit powders and fruit seeds. Although they are first shipments that do not exceed US $ 400 thousand, we estimate that these products may have future growth potential, given the current characteristics of the French consumer«, he projects.

This, because according to local studies and others made by ProChile, the French are sensitive to the origin of the product, its composition and quality, so they look for a good relationship between these aspects and price, and eat healthy.

For products, in addition to honey - which has a growing demand, especially if it is certified as organic or fair trade -, Roberto Paiva suggests that natural natives with interesting properties, such as rosehip, maqui, spirulina and fish oil could have good future results.

Source: Revista del Campo