Frusoal, the leading producer organization in the production of citrus fruit in Portugal and headquartered in Vila Nova de Cacela (Vila Real de Santo António), wants to export the organic Biogomo orange to Scandinavian countries as early as next year.
The first approach to the market was made this month with the participation, for the first time, in Nordic Organic Food, the largest fair of organic products in the region, which took place between 13 and 14 November in Malmö, Sweden.
After two days of contacts with potential customers, Frusoal believes that there is space in the market for organically produced oranges in the Algarve, which distinguishes itself from the competition because of its flavour.
“The market is awake for new suppliers and we receive many contacts from interested people. Our vocation has always been to supply fruit in the traditional way and our product is a novelty in terms of flavor, compared to the competition. We harvest the orange closer to its ideal point of consumption and, therefore, it is tastier», says Pedro Madeira, managing partner of Frusoal.
In 2020, Frusoal will already export Biogomo oranges, which reach the consumer between January and March. Estimated production for this start-up year is 200 tonnes.
The presence at Nordic Organic Food was part of the internationalization plan that Frusoal has in place to increase its sales abroad.
The global objective of the producer organization is to increase the volume of oranges sold outside Portugal by more than 40%. This growth follows the expected rise in global production, from the current 35 million kilograms to 50 million kilograms in the next four years. Exports represent 20% of total production.
The internationalization project is co-financed by the CRESC Algarve 2020 Operational Program, with a global eligible investment of around 260 thousand euros, of which 45% (near 117 thousand) come from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).
Based in Vila Nova de Cacela (Vila Real de Santo António), Frusoal started its activity in 1990. Today, it produces more than 35 thousand tons of citrus fruit (oranges, tangerines, clementines and lemons) in an area of around 1400 hectares, spread over the entire Algarve region.
It has around 100 members and employs 170 people. In 2018, Frusoal recorded a turnover that exceeded 22,5 million euros. In recent years, Frusoal has also invested in the production of persimmons and avocados.
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