Cupuaçu: The exotic passion of the international market
Among the Brazilian sensations that are successful on the international market is cupuaçu, which comes from the medium-sized tree Theobroma grandiflorum, widely cultivated in Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia and Roraima, from January to May. The tree is from the same cocoa family, and has some similarities with the fruit, since both have fatty seeds, and allow the extraction of a similar paste, which in the case of cocoa, is used to produce chocolate and butter. cocoa.
The various features of the "new cocoa"
Cupuaçu, in turn, is a large fruit, with a hard, smooth skin and a dark brown color. The fruit is sold in several ways: ice cream, liqueurs, pudding, jellies, fillings, candies, chocolates, and even in the branch of cosmetics. What differentiates the fruit from the others present in the region is the high degree of utilization, since cupuaçu chocolate is produced from the seed, sweets from the pulp, and handicraft items from the peel. In the cosmetics industry, the fruit is highlighted as a body moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, and mainly, with the famous cupuaçu butter, supplied through the pulp, which guarantees high elasticity to the skin, preventing cracks and ensuring the hydration of the hair strands.
Product exports
For marketing and export, many entrepreneurs extract the fleshy pulp and freeze it, transporting it to the Southeast of Brazil, or even to other countries, such as Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, main destinations for the fruit. The part of cupuaçu most valued internationally is the pasteurized pulp. Only in 2005, Brazil exported 50 tons of pulp to the above countries, profiting about $ 20 million to these exports (EDUCAÇ CENTER OF FEDERALÃ TECHNOLOGICALO GENE THE AMAZON, 2007).
The importance of assistance from an international consultancy
In this regard, it is worth emphasizing the need to carry out a market study, pointing out the most favorable regions for exports, the bureaucratic procedures for internationalization and the offer of a list of buyers. Services performed by Prisma Consultoria Internacional.
By Raphaela Carramilo on 08/22/2019
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