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Paraguay’s exports of chia seeds reached 84.3 thousand tons in 2025, up from 69.8 thousand tons in 2024. This is a remarkable achievement, as the weather conditions in 2025 were harsh. Towards the end of the growing season, rain and frost had severely damaged the crop. When in July last year the crop started coming … Read more
Operators in the chia market last week came back from SIAL with an interesting take away: chia seeds are increasingly scarce. Especially certified organic chia seeds are not easy to obtain, as some produce is contaminated with residues such as fosetyl and paraquat. According to buyers and sellers, organic chia seeds are now offered at … Read more
Few Peruvian quinoa exporters at Biofach Only three Peruvian quinoa exporters had booked a booth a the Biofach trade fair last month. This is a stark difference with the dominant presence of Peruvian quinoa in previous years, as the country is one of the two main suppliers of quinoa to global markets – the other … Read more
The search for added value Exporters from Asia, Latin-America and Africa have often asked my help in introducing their finished, retail-packed food product to the European market. They argue that manufacturers of the finished product earn a much higher margin than suppliers of raw materials. As a facilitator of trade into Europe, I would like … Read more
Many factors influence the availability of Indian mangoes for exports, whether as fresh produce or mango puree. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has a strong effect on the sector as well. The report below provides you with insights on the ongoing mango harvest season, the processing capacity and on issues of distribution. Over the last … Read more
My client CBI just published this study on COVID-19 in grains, pulses and oilseeds, which I wrote. The short report contains 12 steps for companies to follow in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It distinguishes between the immediate response and adapting to ‘the new normal’. I hope it comes in time and proves useful. Let … Read more
Volume of imports Imports of chia seeds into the European Union (EU) increased only 0.2% by volume in the period October 2017– September 2018 (Figure 1). Figure 1: Chia imports in tons per year, 2014/15 – 2017/18, year ending September Paraguay remains the biggest exporter to the European Union with 5417 tons, followed by Bolivia … Read more
European quinoa imports grew 3% in the year ending October 2018, reaching 25677 tons (Figure 1). In the previous year, imports only grew 1%. Peru and Bolivia still dominate European Union quinoa imports, while Ecuador and, recently, Turkey also hold small market shares. These statistics don’t include Europe’s domestic production of several thousand tons. Figure … Read more
India is the major global producer of mangoes and the largest global supplier of mango puree, for domestic and export markets. European processors and traders often complain about the difficulty to read the Indian mango market. For this reason, I’m sharing background information about Indian mango. My experience in mango is based on working five … Read more
Quinoa of organic farm “de Lingehof” in the east of the Netherlands is ready for harvesting. At the 150 ha. arable farm, 3 ha. has been dedicated to quinoa, which farmer Petra Derkzen still considers an experimental crop. “At this second experience of growing quinoa on our farm, we are hoping for a yield of … Read more