Ñuble beekeepers position local products at international fair in Spain
Supported by a Corfo project, the entrepreneurs made visible the products of the Chilean beehive in a key meeting for companies and strategic buyers from Europe, North America and Asia.
Six entrepreneurs from the beekeeping sector in the Ñuble region were part of a trade mission to Spain that included their intervention at the Barcelona Food Fair, a consolidated event in the agri-food sector, which seeks to promote innovation, internationalization and identification of global trends in this area.
“Red Mercado is a program aimed at improving the competitiveness of a group of companies with export potential. Through consulting, they are provided with support so that they can adapt their offer and implement marketing processes, which facilitate their entry into new markets,” explained Macarena Dávila, regional director of Corfo.
“In this context, the beekeepers went on a commercial prospecting trip, in which they had the opportunity to be part of the Barcelona Fair, an event that is internationally recognized for being a great platform for visibility and connection with potential businesses. We are happy that this activity has come to fruition and we hope that the links and networks established there will materialize and contribute to the growth of companies in this sector.”
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According to Marcela Solís, director of the program, the entrepreneurs were able to establish contacts with potential suppliers of packaging machinery and packaging and marketing items. In addition, they established agreements with potential customers, including Spanish producers, large companies exporting honey to the European Union, pastry shops, ice cream parlours and dessert factories.
“We are very happy, because this trade mission culminated successfully, with agreements for the shipment of samples and quotations for the export of honey, pollen, propolis and living material to the European Union. Undoubtedly, the participation of regional entrepreneurs in the Barcelona Food Fair was a great opportunity, in their search for internationalization and growth,” said Solís.
The Ñuble Beekeeping Market Network program takes place between January and October of this year. Six entrepreneurs in the field are participating in it, including honey producers, pollinators and producers of nutritional supplements for bees.
The program also includes activities aimed at strengthening the innovation and associativity capacities of entrepreneurs, through workshops, business roundtables and trade missions, such as the one that recently took place in Spain.
“We are very happy with our participation in the fair. We hope that this will allow us to obtain better sales prices and open up new export opportunities in the medium term,” said Andres Gonzalez, a producer from San Carlos.
In the same vein, Daniel Palma, a beekeeper from Chillán, valued the experience and highlighted the importance of working associatively to position the sector abroad. “This initiative has been extremely beneficial for our group. At the moment, our joint honey production exceeds 100 tons, and being able to attend this fair to offer our product is an important step. Thanks to Corfo, exports are now a reality,” he said.
The trip, which took place in March 2024, was carried out within the framework of the implementation of the Ñuble Beekeeping Markets Network program, co-financed by Corfo.