GUATEMALA EXPORTS
GUATEMALA’S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ACCOUNTS FOR 13.7% OF GDP AND ITS MAIN EXPORTS INCLUDE SUGAR, COFFEE, FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.
PLANESA
Roberto Castañeda is the President, and owner of Planesa. He learned the business from his successful father and is now passing on his knowledge to his children, Roberto and Andrea, who are, what he calls, the company’s “driving force.” Planesa, a dynamic company which has grown exponentially and operates in four different countries, is mostly dedicated to the cultivation of berries as well as vegetables, among other crops. In the U.S. it operates un- der the name ‘Pure Fresh’ and provides to the country’s largest supermarket chains year round. Planesa has production centers in both Guatemala and Mexico. The company is a heavy investor in technology and agricultural research, and has an ongoing stateof-the-art genetics program.
Question: As the largest exporter of berries in Guatemala. What does the American market represent to you?
Answer: We currently have several partners and commercial deals with American supermarkets. Planesa guarantees year-round delivery of its products, and always with the highest quality. This is a demanding market where we manage well, complying with their requests and staying ahead of their needs. They are very happy with us. Q: What development plans for the U.S. can you tell us about?
A: We will be exporting blueberries to the U.S. for the first time in Guatemala's history at the end of 2016. And we are trying once again to break into the raspberry market. We also wish to maintain our strong presence in organic crops. We have been working closely with a fast food chain, offering blackberries for one of their salads. Lastly, we are buying berries straight from producers in several states in the U.S. and we are looking into starting our own crops in the country.