Pedro Monti, chief executive of Silvestres, a company associated to Chileprunes, underlines the more power that has acquired the Old Continent during the last months, still acknowledging the importance of the Chinese market and the future that India represents.
In relation to the international markets, what has been the most distinguishable aspect of this season which deserves to be outlined?
According to us, Europe’s reactivation. Last year, Europe was very asleep in terms of demand due to a series of problems related to inflation, the Ukrainian-Russian war among others. But this year we see Europe stronger and more awaken.
According to Pedro Monti, in the current export situation, the company has reached a better balance in its international sales thanks to a significant reactivation of the European markets. Last year, a big part of the company’s exports was directed to China, especially in “natural condition”.
The revival of Europe as a key market has been an important aspect in this diversification. Countries such as Germany, Poland and The United Kingdom have shown a renewed interest in our products which has allowed Silvestres to capitalize this growing demand.
Silvestres has been able to diversify its markets and products; 60% of its exports are natural condition products and the remaining 40% are tenderized, pitted products directed to Europe and other markets, “where we can offer, for example, a finished, tenderized pitted product. This change has allowed the company to reduce its dependence from China, diminishing the associated risks and creating a more stable and diversified base for its exports”.
Despite Europe’s awakening, China is still a key player, it is in the first place or our prune exports for the industry as well as for Silvestres.
“China is a dominant market and we have with them strong and long-standing commercial relations, which assures a constant flow of products”, he adds.
It is going to be a year since the public-private agreement that allows tenderized prunes to enter India. A campaign is being made in this country that includes, among other things, social media, point of sales promotion and the use of influencers. How is that country evolving?
India is shaping up as a market with a huge potential but it needs a long-term approach. The entrance to the Indian market has been gradual and it will be long term and true success will come with strategic persistence. Here we can use the analogy where you should not throw all the firewood to the fire to make it blaze, but it is a market that should be nurtured carefully like a candle that should burn for a long time “to catch fire”.
He adds: “For us the relationship with Indian companies is very important. My previous experience in Chilenut has allowed me to get to know deeply the Indian market and despite many companies are trying to enter, the truth is that the ones that handle a variety of products, especially nuts, have taken the lead. In Silvestres, even though our nut volume is limited, I have not doubts that we are going to get to sell prunes in India this year and the next one. Even more, we have already planned our presence in MEWA fair in February 2025”.
The weather and the future of the season
We have had a good year in relation to rainfall and hours of cold. If there are no important frosts during the next months, are we going to have a good agricultural season?
Exactly, we are off to a good start.
Last year we had an odd winter which resulted in an uneven blooming, you could see in the same tree flowers, buds and fruits. It was really impressing, for we had never seen such and uneven blooming.
This year seems to be a little bit more normal, or at least more promising in terms of the results in relation to the fruit.
Is this all an indicative that we will have then a bigger production in 2025?
It is early to say. We have to wait until September, the time of blooming and we will start observing how the season is coming and we hope it is going to be a normal one. Now, more than volume, I think we can hope for fruit in better conditions, which will mean a bigger harvest in relation to last year’s where the translation from fresh to dry was very bad.
3,500 tons
Silvestres was founded in 1989 and its beginnings go back to the exports of wild mushrooms to Germany, hence the name. Then they explored in dry fruits exporting for the first time to Brazil in 1996. They started with raisins and years later prunes followed. Now they also offer walnuts and fresh garlic.
Now a days the company is associated with Chileprunes, and has about 50 stable collaborators which go up to 360 during harvesting, it exports more or less 3,500 tons of prunes combined with 5,000 additional tons of raisins, garlic and nuts combined to more than 40 countries mainly in Europe and Asia. Prunes are about half of Silvestres’ business.
Its offices are in Santiago, its processing plant is in Rinconada de Los Andes. Silvestre has 80 hectares in Santa Cruz y Marchigüe; it also receives fresh fruit consignments from other 25 farms from the areas of Copiapó, Vallenar, Elqui, Limarí, Aconcagua, Chacabuco, Maipo y Colchagua.
