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ISSUE 2 | 2020

THE JOURNAL FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN PROCESSED FOOD, DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

POST-HARVEST

RESHAPING THE SORTING LANDSCAPE MARKETS

GOOD NEWS HOUSE DEMAND UP SNACKS

AFTER THE CORONA NUCLEAR WINTER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ISSUE 2 | 2020

THE JOURNAL FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN PROCESSED FOOD, DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Editorial To our readers, advertisers and friends around the world ��5 World The New Food Order: Future of The Global Food Industry After The “Corona Nuclear Winter” ��6 Turkey After all that: A Syrian company gets up again ��16

USA Oregon Hazelnuts – A rising star? ��20 Technology Redrawing the landscape for sorting machines ��26 Germany The good news: “house” demand up ��30 Chocolate bars as an object of disput ��36 Argentina A good crop for export to a world in crisis ��42

Iran Corona and sanctions: large volumes of pistachios still on stock ��48 Iraq “Direct contacts and no video conferencing” ��54 Russia Nuts – products of strategic importance ��59

India Swimming with the tide is a good advice ��65

Imprint / Index to Advertisers ��72

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

EDITORIAL To our readers, advertisers and friends around the world Starting in 2016 the trends in the dried fruit and nut business clearly pointed to the direction of digital information including social media. Although our publications in printed versions are still in high esteem, AgroPress of Switzerland took one step forward and engaged in any electronic method of communication. It was a fortunate coincidence that the next generation of our family company was ready to take over the challenge of transforming a traditional publishing house into a media cluster which is necessary to span the world with relevant news about our sector. Axel Breuer, our son, has moved on with the electronic version of the magazine, an online edition and podcast, elements which from the very beginning attracted a multitude of stakeholders in the industry. He was well aware of the fact that the editorial approach should be another one as for conventional publishing. It was not rather the element of real time information but the focus was on topics which matter in the near or medium term and make the future in the industry.

both for digital media can contact anybody of the staff for enquiries. In the same way will the print department with pleasure follow up with your requests about digital advertising and editorial content. We are sure that you, our readers, advertisers and friends will take the important pace with us for the mutual benefit of the whole industry. AgroPress of Switzerland Gerhard H. Breuer Axel Breuer Christiane Breuer

Besides these very demanding tasks the print publication will not disappear. The Clipper magazine will be published in the same way as before setting out markers by information gathered by what we call â€˜direct journalismâ€™, i.e. by interviews and reports from the spot. Well understood, these two types of media realization will compliment each other, as they reflect the philosophy of the same publishing house, AgroPress of Switzerland. It goes without saying that our customers THE CLIPPER 2-2020

WORLD

Future of The Global Food Industry After The “Corona Nuclear Winter”

El futuro de la industria alimenticia mundial tras el „invierno corona-nuclear“

by Dina Hamdy, London, The Clipper UK

por Dina Hamdy, Londres, The Clipper UK

For the food industry during the Covid-19 crisis, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. While there was a sharp rise in demand during the last few months, the crisis has exposed fundamental weakness in supply chains, creating shortages in essential supplies and basic staples around the world.

Para la industria alimenticia durante la crisis de Covid-19, „fue el mejor de los tiempos, y el peor de los tiempos“. Si bien hubo un fuerte aumento de la demanda durante los últimos meses, la crisis ha expuesto una debilidad fundamental en las cadenas de suministro, creando escasez de suministros esenciales y productos básicos en todo el mundo.

The pandemic has hit China, Europe and the USA one after the other, making a secure sourcing strategy difficult. In many European countries, flour, yeast, pasta and rice were sometimes more difficult to procure than heroine. Unprecedented long queues outside supermarkets became the norm, and panicked scrambling to hoard food spiked demand for online grocery shopping, and crashed big supermarkets’ websites. Infrastructure for many was simply unable to cope with the tsunami of demand, and only giant businesses that had a resilient online and

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

La pandemia ha afectado a China, Europa y los Estados Unidos, uno tras otro, lo que dificulta una estrategia segura de abastecimiento. En muchos países europeos, la harina, la levadura, la pasta o el arroz, eran a veces más difíciles de conseguir que la heroína. Las largas colas sin precedentes fuera de los supermercados se convirtieron en la norma, y el pánico se apresuró a acumular alimentos, aumentó la demanda de compras online y saturó los sitios web de los grandes supermercados. La infraestructura no pudo hacer

WORLD direct-to-consumer infrastructure flourished during the crisis. The future of the food industry will probably never be the same again. In an attempt to foresee potential future trends in the post-Covid 19 era, an online survey was conducted by Bösch Boden Spies (BBS) among a 100 food executives, traders, producers, retailers and start-ups. It was presented as part of the “We Food Future” event that took place virtually over two days in May to discuss the “future of the world of food after Covid-19”. While virtual meetings have become the new normal, virtual conferences are a relatively new concept. My recurrent thought was that it is an efficient and environmentally friendly way to organise an event like this, especially with international participants from around

frente al tsunami de la demanda, y solo las empresas gigantes que tenían una infraestructura resistente online y directa al consumidor florecieron durante la crisis. El futuro de la industria alimentaria probablemente nunca volverá a ser el mismo. En un intento de prever posibles tendencias futuras en la era posterior al Covid 19, Bösch Boden Spies (BBS) realizó una encuesta entre 100 ejecutivos, comerciantes, productores, minoristas y nuevas empresas de alimentos. Fue presentado como parte del evento „We Food Future“ que tuvo lugar virtualmente durante dos días en Mayo para discutir el „futuro del mundo de la comida después del Covid-19“. Si bien las reuniones virtuales se han convertido en la nueva normalidad, las conferencias virtuales son un concepto relativamente

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

TURKEY

The pictures show the offices in Damascus before (2010)...

After all that: A Syrian company gets up again

Después de todo una empresa Siria que vuelve a levantarse

„By the end of January 2010 in the framework of a Near and Middle East fact finding mission”, Gerhard Breuer recounts, “I visited Damascus again and talked to Samer Al-Keddah, president of the Kedco nut company. I’ve met Samer a few times before but never in his home country Syria.

„A finales de enero del 2010 en relación a la búsqueda de hechos en el Cercano y Medio Oriente“, recuerda Gerhard Breuer, „visité Damasco nuevamente y hablé con Samer Al-Keddah, presidente de la compañía de frutos secos Kedco. No era la primera vez que me encontraba con él, pero sí la primera en su país natal, Siria.

After an interview and a tour through the factory he invited me for a sightseeing tour through the Old city of Damascus which was for a long time the cultural and political metropolis of the Near East. We took a stroll through the ancient city, and on a square right in the middle he was telling me:”This is the house where our family lived for centuries.”

Después de una entrevista y un recorrido por la fábrica, me invitó a un paseo turístico por la ciudad vieja de Damasco, que fue durante mucho tiempo la metrópoli cultural y política de Oriente. Dimos un paseo por la antigua ciudad, y en una plaza justo en el centro me decía: „Esta es la casa donde vivió nuestra familia durante siglos“.

Samer Al-Keddah reports: ”In the wake of the “Arabian Spring” in 2013 unrest broke out in Syria and reached the suburbs of Damascus City , where our factory is located. Soon this area was unaccessible. The fights swept over to our residence area. The situation escalated so fast to the extent that we found our family members scattered over several countries.

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

Samer Al-Keddah: „A raíz de la“ Primavera Árabe“ en el 2013 estallaron disturbios en Siria y llegaron a los suburbios de la ciudad de Damasco, donde se encuentra nuestra fábrica. Pronto esta área era inaccesible. Los enfrentamientos se extendieron a nuestra zona de residencia. La situación se intensificó tan rápido por todos lados que nuestra familia acabó dispersa por varios países.

TURKEY In the middle of this situation we had to handle a lot of different export shipments of pistachio and almonds via Latakia port. Documentation and all other export procedure had to be done with great difficulties and under extremely high risk. At that time most of our export consisted of Syrian products like pistachios , almonds , apricot kernels , destined mostly for customers in Europe, beside of some other spices such as Cumin , Anise and coriander , from Syria to a worldwide clientele.“ “As you may remember, Mr. Breuer, our plant in Damascus was equipped with state of the art machinery in accordance with the European and international hygienic and quality standards. Unfortunately everything has been destroyed. The pictures enclosed are an example of the offices part of our Damascus plant taken by you during your visit to our plant a few years before, and the other photo shows the same place after the war. This situation applied for the whole plant. A struggle of survival After this gigantic loss we were working night and day to evaluate some alternatives for our families and business options for our company. For us it was a struggle of survival. As travel documents and visas for different countries are in general not easy to be obtained it was impossible to be given to Syrians within their current situation. We found that Turkey was the most welcoming country; they did not even require a visa at that time. So Turkey, was our country of choice to start a new social and business

En medio de esta situación, tuvimos que dirigir muchos envíos de exportación diferentes de pistacho y almendras a través del puerto de Latakia. La documentación y todos los demás procedimientos de exportación se hacían con grandes dificultades y bajo un riesgo extremadamente alto. En ese momento, la mayoría de nuestras exportaciones consistían en productos sirios como pistachos, almendras, albaricoques, destinados principalmente a clientes de Europa, además de algunas otras especias como comino, anís y cilantro, exportados al resto del mundo. “Como recordará, Sr. Breuer, nuestra planta en Damasco estaba equipada con maquinaria de última generación de acuerdo con los estándares europeos e internacionales de higiene y calidad. Lamentablemente todo ha sido destruido. Las fotos adjuntas son un ejemplo de las oficinas, en las que estuvo durante su visita a nuestra planta unos años antes, y la otra foto muestra el mismo lugar después de la guerra. Esta situación se aplica a toda la planta.

... and after (2019) the destruction THE CLIPPER 2-2020

USA

Oregon Hazelnuts – A rising star?

Avellanas de Oregon – Una estrella emergante?

With 1.7% of total nut production hazelnuts play a minor role in the industry. But hazelnuts are becoming more interesting for growers in Oregon – even some Christmas tree nurseries made the switch. Hazelnut consumption in the US doubled in 6 years, with a rising share of domestic supply. As with all other nut varieties the consumption increase outpaced the supply increase. Will hazelnuts become a major product for US farmers? It is important to follow the unique trading scheme for hazelnuts to understand what the future will bring. We talked to Troy Johnson, Business Owner at Nutseller and consultant about the situation and the future.

Con el 1.7% de la producción total de frutos secos, las avellanas juegan un papel menor en la industria. Pero se están volviendo más interesantes para los productores de Oregón, incluso algunos viveros de árboles de Navidad hicieron el cambio. El consumo de avellanas en los EEUU se duplicó en 6 años, con una creciente participación de oferta interna. Como con todas las otras variedades de nueces, el aumento del consumo superó el aumento de la oferta. ¿Se convertirán las avellanas en un producto importante para los agricultores de los Estados Unidos? Es imprescindible entender el esquema comercial único de las avellanas, para comprender lo que les deparará el futuro. Hablamos con Troy Johnson, propietario de negocios en Nutseller y consultor sobre la situación y el futuro.

The Clipper: Hazelnuts from Oregon have a pretty unique marketing pattern. Can you explain it for our readers? Troy Johnson: Hazelnuts have gotten very little attention. But Oregon hazelnuts have a very interesting dynamic with the growers. We determine the grower price in September, generally. That is the minimum price the growers get

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

The Clipper: Las avellanas de Oregon tienen un patrón de comercialización bastante único. ¿Puede explicar esto a nuestros lectores? Troy Johnson: Las avellanas han recibido muy poca atención en general. Pero las de Oregón tienen una dinámica muy interesante

USA throughout the year – usually they get a little bit more. The processors take the fully risk of marketing Because of that, most of our sales have gone very quickly into inshell markets like China. Thus we have not invested much into kernel products or other products that could compete with Turkey or increase overall demand. In the past the Eastern Filbert Blight has decimated the old orchards. The Oregon University Breeding Programme which has been funded by growers for several decades has come up with new varieties that are less susceptible to blight. The first variety was only presented 12 years ago. This variety (Jefferson) gave farmers in the Willamette Valley new opportunities to get into the hazelnut industry. Since then we added more varieties – and these are more kernel-oriented varieties that could compete on global markets. That is why you are seeing a major increase in plantings. Until the early 2000’s Oregon was stuck with an acreage of around 20,000 acres (8090 hectares). Now we are over 80,000 acres (32374 hectares). The Clipper: How many growers and processors can be found in Oregon? Troy Johnson: There are about a 1,000 grower families. The number of processors has decreased to about five bigger operations, 2 of them are actually processing the bulk of the production. This has changed significantly in the last decade.

con los productores. Determinamos el precio al productor en septiembre, en general. Ese es el precio mínimo que obtienen los productores durante todo el año, generalmente obtienen un poco más. Los procesadores asumen el riesgo total de comercialización. Debido a eso, la mayoría de nuestras ventas se han trasladado rápidamente a los mercados minoristas como China. Por lo tanto, no hemos invertido mucho en el procesamiento o en otras líneas productivas que puedan competir con Turquía o aumentar la demanda general. En el pasado, al este de Filbert Blight se diezmaron los viejos huertos. El Programa de Mejoramiento de la Universidad de Oregon, que ha sido financiado por los productores durante varias décadas, ha creado nuevas variedades que son menos susceptibles al Tizón. La primera variedad solo se presentó hace 12 años. Esta variedad (Jefferson) brindó a los agricultores del Valle de Willamette nuevas oportunidades para participar en la industria de las avellanas. Desde entonces, agregamos más variedades, y estas están más orientadas a la mejora del grano que podría competir en los mercados mundiales. Es por eso que está habiendo un gran aumento en las plantaciones. Hasta principios de la década del 2.000, Oregon estaba estancado con una superficie de alrededor de 20.000 acres (8.090 ha). Ahora tenemos más de 80.000 acres (32.374 ha).

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

TECHNOLOGY

Redrawing the landscape for sorting machines

Clasificadoras que rediseñan el panorama

A flying start

Un comienzo veloz

Optimum NV, Hasselt, was founded in 2017 by sector veterans Paul Berghmans and Steve Raskin, together with the investment company Pentahold - three partners with years of experience in the development, production and sale of optical sorting machines. Technology expert Jan De Jonghe, who also boasted extensive experience in optical sorting, joined the team to lead the research and development department. Shortly after its establishment, the Dutch Concept Engineers from Eindhoven, founded in 1999, was taken over. That company specialised in optical sorting systems for the food industry. The managers and owners of Concept Engineers at that time took a stake in the capital so that Optimum could get off to a flying start with a team with more than 200 years of experience in optical and electronic sorting at the helm.

Optimum NV, Hasselt, fue fundada en 2017 por los veteranos del sector Paul Berghmans y Steve Raskin, junto con la compañía de inversión Pentahold, socios con años de experiencia en el desarrollo, producción y venta de máquinas de clasificación óptica. El experto en tecnología Jan De Jonghe, que también contaba con una amplia experiencia en clasificación óptica, se unió al equipo para dirigir el departamento de investigación y desarrollo. Poco después de su creación, la empresa Dutch Concept Engineers de Eindhoven, fundada en 1999, fue adquirida. Esa empresa se especializó en sistemas de clasificación óptica para la industria alimentaria. Los gerentes y propietarios de Concept Engineers hasta ese momento, participaron activamente para que Optimum pudiera comenzar con un equipo de más de 200 años de experiencia en clasificación óptica y electrónica.

Not the biggest, but the most innovative

No es la mayor, pero sí la más innovadora de las empresas

The market of optical sorters is a niche market which was dominated by a few major players. With dozens of patents to his name, CEO

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

El mercado de los clasificadores ópticos es un sector de mercado dominado por

TECHNOLOGY Paul Berghmans is responsible for many of the innovations in the sector in which he has been active for already 35 years. “Optimum was founded with the intention of becoming a leading reference. The market could use a new, progressive and above all reliable partner,” he said. “We are not trying to become the biggest, we want to become the most innovative - the trendsetter in terms of technology, quality and reliability. We have therefore resolutely drawn the map of innovation and investment in the future.” The first priority after the launch was to build a technological lead. The company did this by developing a completely new sorting platform by the name of ‘Cloudsorter’. The most advanced laser scanner in the sorting market, a high-resolution multispectral scanner, was then developed and launched. This laser scanner was first developed for a scanning width of 1200 mm, then for 900 mm, and the current generation, which will be launched this year, can be used for a scanning width of 1800 mm without sacrificing performance. The technology has meanwhile been further developed and refined so that the laser system can also detect invisible but seriously harmful substances, such as aflatoxin on nuts. Ventus – the new product line In 2019, the range of Optimum sorting machines - Focus, Triplus and Nexus - was expanded by a new product line: the Ventus. This advanced optical sorting machine combines a free-fall infeed with a high-resolution laser scanner, currently available in widths of 900, 1200 and 1800 mm. “The fact that we have achieved so much in only three years is partly due to the support of a financially strong shareholder like Pentahold, who knows the sector well,” explained Paul Berghmans. “In total, all shareholders have already invested € 15M in building our technological lead, and consequently in our future. And we plan on continuing this.” Investments have also been made in the United States with the opening of a local branch in Denver, Colorado. American

unos pocos. Con docenas de patentes a su nombre, el CEO Paul Berghmans es responsable de muchas de las innovaciones en el sector en el que ha estado activo durante 35 años. “Optimum se fundó con la intención de convertirse en una referencia líder. El mercado podría acceder a un socio nuevo, progresivo y sobre todo fiable”, dijo. “No estamos tratando de convertirnos en los más grandes, queremos convertirnos en los más innovadores, los que marcan tendencias en términos de tecnología, calidad y fiabilidad. Por lo tanto, hemos trazado con determinación un mapa de innovación e inversión para el futuro”. La prioridad, tras el lanzamiento, fue construir un liderazgo tecnológico. La compañía hizo esto desarrollando una plataforma de clasificación completamente nueva con el nombre de “Cloudsorter”. Luego se desarrolló y se lanzó el escáner láser más avanzado del mercado de clasificación, un escáner multiespectral de alta resolución. Este escáner láser se desarrolló primero para un ancho de escaneo de 1.200mm, luego para 900mm, y la generación actual, que se lanzará este año, llegará a un ancho de escaneo de 1.800mm sin limitar su rendimiento. Mientras tanto, la tecnología se ha desarrollado y refinado aún más para que el sistema láser también pueda detectar sustancias invisibles pero muy dañinas, como la aflatoxina en los frutos secos. Ventus – la nueva línea de producción En 2019, la gama de máquinas de clasificación Optimum (Focus, Triplus y Nexus) se amplió con una nueva línea de productos: Ventus. Esta avanzada máquina de clasificación óptica combina una alimentación de caída libre con un escáner láser de alta resolución, actualmente disponible en anchos de 900, 1.200 y 1.800mm. “El hecho de que hayamos logrado tanto en solo tres años se debe en parte al apoyo de un accionista financieramente sólido como Pentahold, que conoce bien el sector”, explicó Paul Berghmans. “En THE CLIPPER 2-2020

GERMANY

Ritter Sport Chocolate Company in Waldenbuch, Germany

Chocolate bars as an object of dispute

Schokoladetafeln als Streitobjekt

“Trademarks serve to identify (mark) the goods or services of one company and distinguish them from similar goods or services of other companies. Trademarks may consist of words, pictures, numbers, sound signs, three-dimensional designs (shape of goods or packaging) and other presentations such as a special combination of colours.

„Markenzeichen dienen der Kennzeichnung (Markierung) der Waren oder Dienstleistungen eines Unternehmens und unterscheiden diese von ähnlichen Waren oder Dienstleistungen anderer Unternehmen. Markenzeichen können aus Wörtern, Abbildungen, Zahlen, Hörzeichen, dreidimensionalen Gestaltungen (Form der Ware oder Verpackung) sowie sonstigen Aufmachungen wie eine spezielle Farbzusammenstellung bestehen.“

As far as the official definition, which also applies to “three-dimensional” or “shape marks”, is concerned Mondelez (Milka) has been involved for ten years in a legal dispute with the German manufacturer Alfred Ritter, which has been producing and packaging its 100 g chocolate bars in square form since 1932. The Württemberg producer claims that “for many years, consumers have equated a square-shaped chocolate bar with ‘Ritter

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

Soweit die offizielle Definition, die auch für „dreidimensionale“ oder „Formmarken“ gilt. Die Mondelez (Milka) liegt schon seit zehn Jahren in einem Rechtsstreit mit dem deutschen Hersteller Alfred Ritter, der seit 1932 seine Schokoladentafeln von 100 g in quadratischer Form produziert und verpackt. Der württembergische Produzent macht geltend, daß „seit vielen Jahren die Verbraucher

GERMANY Sport’, even if the bar is packaged in neutral white without a logo or lettering. In the early 1990s, Ritter had the square packaging with the longitudinal seam on the back protected as a trademark. The origin is the: Clara Ritter, co-founder of the company in the Waldenbuch district of Böblingen, had the idea of launching a chocolate bar that would fit in the pocket of a sports jacket. Hence the name and the shape. Even though the registration of a picture or word mark is quite complicated, the hurdles for a shape are much higher in order to avoid “clear monopolization”. Therefore a shape must be so different that it is perceived as an independent trademark. This is where Milka (Mondelez) comes into play. In 2010, the globally active group will apply to

eine quadratisch verpackte Schokolade mit ‚Ritter Sport‘ gleichsetzen, selbst wenn die Tafel neutral weiß ohne Logo oder Beschriftung verpackt ist.“ Anfang der neunziger Jahre hat Ritter die quadratische Verpackung mit der Längsnaht auf der Rückseite als Marke schützen lassen. Der Ursprung ist der: Clara Ritter, Mitgründerin des Unternehmens in Waldenbuch Kreis Böblingen, hatte die Idee, eine Schokoladentafel auf den Markt zu bringen, die in die Tasche eines Sportjacketts paßt. Daher der Name und die Form. Wenn auch die Eintragung einer Bild- oder Wortmarke recht kompliziert ist, so liegen die Hürden für eine Form deutlich höher, um „deutliche Monopolisierungen“ zu vermeiden. Deshalb muß eine Form so anders sein,

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

ARGENTINA

A good crop for export to a world in crisis

Buena cosecha para la exportación a un mundo en crisis

Gastaldi Hermanos is a well-known name in the global peanut business. Axel Breuer talked to Santiago A. Tembras, Commodity Trading Manager about the company, the peanut business in Argentina and the world situation still bound to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gastaldi Hermanos son bien conocidos en el negocio mundial del cacahuete. Axel Breuer se entrevistó con Santiago A. Tembras, Gerente de Comercio en Gastaldi, sobre la compañía para la que trabaja y sobre el negocio del cacahuete en Argentina así como de la situación mundial aún anclada a la pandemia del Covid-19.

Santiago A. Tembras: Gastaldi headquartered in General Deheza, Province of Córdoba, is one of the first companies that started the peanut business in Argentina in the 1970s. But the company is even older than that. It was founded in 1931as a wheat flower mill which is still working. Today Gastaldi has two divisions: The wheat flower mill which focuses on the domestic market – and the peanut with a focus on export markets. It’s a well-balanced company. Gastaldi is a medium-sized business, ranking

THE CLIPPER 2-2020

Santiago A. Tembras: Gastaldi, con sede en General Deheza, provincia de Córdoba, es una de las primeras empresas que inició el negocio del maní en Argentina en la década de 1.970. Pero la compañía es incluso más antigua que eso. Fue fundada en 1.931 con un molino de trigo que todavía funciona. Hoy, Gastaldi tiene dos divisiones: el trigo que se enfoca al mercado interno, y los cacahuetes enfocados

ARGENTINA among the top ten of peanut exporters. We adjust our size in a way that we can handle the peanuts that we plant in our post-harvest facility. We do not try to increase plantings every year. Our export items are mainly raw and blanched peanuts. We have been in the export business for over 40 years now, our main destinations are countries in Europe but also in South Africa, Algeria, Russia, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The Clipper: How is the demand at the moment? Santiago A. Tembras: The demand is very high at the moment with some specific requests to anticipate shipments – especially from Europe. I am not sure if this really is bigger demand or just anticipation of demand. When the pandemic started here in Argentina people rushed to buy supplies. I think that situation happened in many countries. So I have my doubts if it is a real surge. The Clipper: How are your projections for this year? Santiago A. Tembras: We are expecting a good crop in terms of quantity and quality – probably not as good as last year – last year was remarkable. This year is a bit more heterogeneous. Some regions are doing better than others. Overall production will be 10% lower. The main reason is the reduction of the planted area with yields being just a little bit lower. The Clipper: Why are farmers reducing the planted area?

al mercado de exportación. Es una empresa bien equilibrada. Se trata de una empresa mediana, clasificada entre las diez principales exportadoras de maní. Ajustamos nuestro tamaño de manera que podamos manejar los cacahuetes que plantamos en nuestras instalaciones de post-cosecha. No intentamos aumentar las plantaciones cada año. Nuestros artículos de exportación son principalmente maní crudo entero y el pelado (o blanqueado). Llevamos más de 40 años en el negocio de las exportaciones, nuestros principales destinos son países de Europa pero también Sudáfrica, Argelia, Rusia, China, Japón, Australia y Nueva Zelanda.

Santiago A. Tembras: Unfortunately we are facing another severe economic situation. Last year, export taxes have increased when the government changed. As a consequence, many companies reduced the planted area to mitigate the risk – and switched to other crops. The Clipper: How does the economic situation in Argentina affect your business? Santiago A. Tembras: The exports of agricultural commodities are the main THE CLIPPER 2-2020

IRAN

Corona and sanctions: large volumes of pistachios still on stock

COVID y sanciones: un gran volumen de pistachos siguen almacenados

by Abolghasem Golbaf, editor in chief, ‘Iran agri’ magazine, Tehran

por Abolghasem Golbaf, editor jefe de la revista „Iran agri“, Teherán.

In the competitive race between the origins of Iranian pistachios with nearly 4,000 years of history and wild forest pistachios of Khorasan, Mesopotamia region as well as southeastern Iran (Kerman, Rafsanjan and Yazd) with 1,800 years of history of cultivation of these nuts and the desert areas with more than 70% of the area under world pistachio cultivation and export has the first place.

Muchas áreas nuevas de Irán colaboran en la carrera competitiva del pistacho, a pesar de que las zonas tradicionales cuentan con con casi 4.000 años de historia en general, los pistachos salvajes de Khorasan, la región de Mesopotamia, así como parte del sureste de Irán (Kerman, Rafsanjan y Yazd) con 1.800 años de historia de cultivo de estos frutos, y algunas áreas del desierto, con más del 70% de la exportación total del país.

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (President of Iran 1989-97) believed that pistachio was a blessing for the desert and triggered the development of the region. After the groundwater level in Kerman and Yazd provinces decreased, pistachio farms spread out to different cities in order to continue the activity and cultivate pistachios in 17 provinces. Meanwhile, in some areas, such as Qom and Markazi provinces in the center of the country, pistachio planting has been done in an integrated and centralized manner (at the level of about 10,000 ha in the Markazi province alone) , hence these provinces have also been added to Iran‘s pistachio hubs.

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Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (Presidente de Irán 1989-97) creía que el pistacho era una bendición para el desierto y promovió el desarrollo de la región. Después de que el nivel de agua subterránea en las provincias de Kerman y Yazd disminuyera, las granjas de pistacho se extendieron a diferentes ciudades para continuar la actividad y cultivar en 17 otras provincias. Mientras tanto, en algunas áreas, como Qom y Markazi en el centro del país, la siembra de pistacho se ha realizado de manera continuada y centralizada (unas 10.000 ha solo en la provincia de Markazi), lo que pone de manifiesto que estas provincias

IRAN Estimate of pistachio production in 2020 Experts from the Ministry of Agriculture of Iran say: In total, there are about 470,000 ha of bearing pistachio orchards in Iran, which yields nearly 300,000 t of pistachios from orchards in 2020. However, the production rate from the private sector’s point of view is less than 300,000 t and will be estimated at 260,000 t. However, one of the reasons for the growth and prosperity of pistachio cultivation in Iran and its thriving exports is the activity of the private sector and independence from the government.

también se han agregado a la producción global de pistacho de Irán. Estimaciones de producción de pistacho en 2020 Expertos del Ministerio de Agricultura de Irán declaran: En total, hay alrededor de 470.000ha de huertos de pistacho en Irán, lo que producirá casi 300.000t de pistachos en 2020. El sector privado, independiente del gobierno y también promotor fundamental para la prosperidad de las exportaciones de pistacho iraní, estima la producción en 260.000t.

After a sharp decline in pistachio production in 2018, the sector has achieved a good production in 2019, but about 110,000 t of pistachios produced in 2019 due to the spread of corona and closed borders in Europe, India, China, and of course the tightening of sanctions stored in customs warehouses on the borders of Iran or the warehouses of pistachio traders.

Después de una fuerte disminución en la producción de pistacho en 2018, el sector ha logrado una buena producción en 2019, pero alrededor de 110.000t de estos pistachos siguen almacenados en depósitos aduaneros en las fronteras de Irán o en almacenes de comerciantes, debido a la propagación del Coronavirus, al cierre de fronteras en Europa, India, China y, por supuesto, el endurecimiento de sanciones.

Competition between traditional farms and new pistachio areas

Competencia entre granjas tradicionales y nuevas áreas de pistacho.

Traditional pistachio farms in the central desert areas (Yazd, Kerman, Rafsanjan and environment) have become part of the history

Las granjas tradicionales de pistacho en las zonas desérticas centrales (Yazd, Kerman, Rafsanjan y alrededores) se han convertido

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IRAQ

“Direct contacts and no video conferencing”

„Direkte Kontakte und keine Video-Konferenzen“

says Paul März, co-owner of the internationally active trade fair company Fairtrade, about the situation in Corona times

sagt Paul März, Mitinhaber der international tätigen Messegesellschaft Fairtrade, zur Lage in Corona-Zeiten

by Birgit Svensson, Clipper’s correspondent for the Near and Middle East

von Birgit Svensson, Clipper-Korrespondentin für den Nahen und Mittleren Osten

Trade fairs and exhibitors are affected by the global corona pandemic like no other industry. “At the moment nothing is working, nowhere,” says Paul März. The man from Heidelberg, who runs a trade fair company together with his father Martin, is nevertheless optimistic. “We’re taking every precaution when it starts up again.”

Wie kaum eine andere Branche sind Messen und Aussteller von der weltweiten CoronaPandemie betroffen. „Im Moment geht gar nichts, nirgendwo“, sagt Paul März. Der Mann aus Heidelberg, der zusammen mit seinem Vater Martin eine Messegesellschaft betreibt, ist dennoch optimistisch. „Wir treffen alle Vorkehrungen, wenn es dann wieder losgeht.“

His company is called “Fairtrade”, has existed since 1991 and is now one of the leading organisers of international trade fairs for agrofood in emerging markets. The family-owned company from Baden-Württemberg is particularly active in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Fairtrade has nothing to do with the Fair Trade movement, which fights for better pay for coffee farmers in Peru or demands higher wages for textile workers in Bangladesh.

Sein Unternehmen heißt „Fairtrade“, besteht seit 1991 und zählt mittlerweile zu den führenden Veranstaltern internationaler Fachmessen für Agrofood in aufstrebenden Märkten. Insbesondere in Nord- und Subsahara-Afrika, im Nahen Osten und in Osteuropa ist das Familienunternehmen aus Baden-Württemberg tätig. Fairtrade hat nichts mit der FairTrade-Bewegung zu tun, die für eine bessere Bezahlung der Kaffeebauern in Peru kämpft oder mehr Lohn für die Textilarbeiterinnen in Bangladesch fordert. „

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IRAQ 1994: The first fair in Iran

1994: Die erste Messe im Iran

Fairtrade takes care of everything from agricultural machinery to packaging technology, food and beverage production, drying machines for fruit. “At our trade shows, you’ll find all that.” Father Martin organized the first events in the Baltic States, then in the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In 1994 Fairtrade became active in Iran for the first time. When the Russian crisis came, they moved to Egypt, Morocco and Algeria. The family is crisis-tested and highly flexible. But now with Corona: there has never been a global pandemic. “We can’t hold masses anywhere now.”

Fairtrade kümmert sich von Landwirtschaftsmaschinen über Verpackungstechnik, Lebensmittel- und Getränkeherstellung, Trocknungsmaschinen für Früchte. „Auf unseren Messen ist all das vertreten.“ Vater Martin organisierte die ersten Veranstaltungen im Baltikum, danach in den ehemaligen Sowjetrepubliken Kasachstan, Usbekistan und Turkmenistan. 1994 wurde Fairtrade zum ersten Mal im Iran tätig. Als die Russlandkrise kam, wichen sie nach Ägypten, Marokko und Algerien aus. Familie März ist krisenerprobt und in höchstem Grade flexibel. Doch nun mit Corona: eine globale Pandemie gab es noch nie. „Wir können jetzt nirgendwo Messen abhalten.“

It was said that Iraq was becoming an increasingly important market. März was in the process of building up the market in Iraq. In April 2019 Fairtrade held its very first agrofood fair in Baghdad, motivated by the fairs in Iran, where many customers said that Iraq was becoming increasingly important as a market. “We had 80 exhibitors from 16 countries, so we were more than satisfied with the premiere.” Most exhibitors came from Iran, in second place from Turkey. Germany was in third place with six exhibitors. “We had exhibitors from Sri Lanka, India, China, so it was already very international the

Der direkte Kontakt ist entscheidend Sein Geschäft braucht den direkten Kontakt zwischen Käufer und Verkäufer, Kunde und Hersteller. „Wir vermitteln hochwertige Kontakte und Begegnungen.“ Es geht um große Investitionen, eine Landmaschine, eine Verpackungsmaschine, die mehrere Millionen Euro kosten. Die Käufer wollen die Lieferanten persönlich sehen, wollen sich in die Augen gucken, wollen zusammen essen gehen, „wollen dabei erkunden, was das für jemand ist, mit dem ich ein Geschäft mache“, erklärt März seine Aktivitäten.

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The Clipper Nuts and Dried Fruits 2020-2