Equatorial Guinea has some interesting tropical fruit productions, notably bananas, plantains and pineapples, and is seeking to gain ground in the European market through the Spanish company Afrom Exportaciones. "It's worth noting that in Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking country nestled in the heart of Africa, Spanish products are highly appreciated in gastronomic terms," says Terenciano Ondo, founder and CEO of the Valencia-based company. "In the last 30 years, I have been living for alternative periods in Spain, where I was educated, and Equatorial Guinea, and in 2005 I decided to launch this platform for the promotion of Iberian gastronomy (Spain, Portugal, Italy and France). At Afrom, we bring and promote this gastronomy in Africa and champion Spanish products. We are also working to ensure that the tropical products produced in Equatorial Guinea are consumed in Spain and other European markets".
Equatorial Guinea is a country with great potential in the agricultural sector, with the list of traditional products including cocoa, timber and coffee. As for fruits, bananas, plantains and pineapples are also common. "However, this production is merely intended for subsistence and self-sufficiency," says Terenciano. "We believe that a private-sector boost is needed to help improve the technology for the production. We urgently need the creation of an agency/laboratory to certify the production; in this way, we'd be able to scale up and contribute to the sector's growth and consolidation. Ultimately, the goal is to increase the levels of commercial activity and the income."
"At Afrom Exportaciones, we are working to improve the visibility of agricultural products from Equatorial Guinea and to ensure they are consumed in the main European markets. To this end, we are collaborating with everyone involved in the process: regulators, producers, importers and distributors. Thus, on the one hand, we are exporting and distributing perishable and non-perishable Spanish food products in some African markets, with Equatorial Guinea as our main hub. On the other hand, we are importing agricultural products produced in Equatorial Guinea to Europe, mainly bananas, plantains, pineapples, cassava tubers and malanga."
"We collaborate with all the parties involved to promote the growth and consolidation of Equatorial Guinea's primary sector. With this project, we want to help Guinean producers to gain visibility and offer them the opportunity to obtain a greater value for their productions. Entire families live off their banana or pineapple plantations, but they only reach local supply markets, with prices of just 10,000 francs per bunch. Moreover, a large part of the production is wasted due to a lack of storage chambers."
"One of Afrom's goals is precisely to facilitate the signing of trade agreements between the Government of Equatorial Guinea and markets such as the EU, so that producers can make the most of this opportunity."
"Afrom is a serious and ambitious project, and we want to contribute to the rebirth of our country's agriculture in partnership with the Government," says Terenciano. "Our goal is to achieve greater profitability and better living conditions for the producers of Equatorial Guinea. Therefore, we encourage the main platforms and European companies (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, etc.) in the agricultural sector to get involved and bet on the development of this sector. In this way, the country should be able to increase its commercial activity."
For more information:
Afrom Exportaciones S.L.
Calle Obispo Jaime Pérez, 11, bajos. 46.006- Valencia, Spain
Tel.: +34 657 601 907
[email protected]
https://afromexportaciones.com