Roundup: Central Mexico food wholesalers keen on exports to Cuba, China

Nearly 3,000 food wholesalers in Central Mexico hope to export their products to Cuba and China with the help of professionals.

Wholesalers of fruits, vegetables, seeds and other products, at the Toluca Supply Center, the largest wholesale market in the central State of Mexico, are looking to academics and sector officials for advice.

"As merchants, we don't want to settle for this (local market); we want to transcend borders and take our products to Cuba and China," Salvador Palma, president of the market's administrative committee, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Palma, a wholesaler and seed producer, said that merchants like himself were aware of the need to secure permits and meet other trade requirements before being able to ship their goods abroad, but what they lacked was specialized knowledge of the markets.

Consulting experts, he said, "allows us to learn the traditions, tastes and customs of those who will be our new customers abroad."

To that end, wholesalers met recently with members of the Latin American and Caribbean Academic Network on China, officials of the Secretariat of Agricultural Development of the State of Mexico, and representatives from state agencies that ensure vegetable and aquaculture standards.

"Without doubt, to achieve our dream we have to make the most of consulting they are now giving us. It's important that they explain and provide us with the basic knowledge to be able to go global," said Palma.

The vast Toluca Supply Center, located 60 km from Mexico City in the state capital Toluca, houses 2,500 warehouses that serve around 40,000 buyers a day.

While the majority of buyers are from local businesses and retailers, purchasers also come from nearby states, such as Michoacan, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Guerrero and Puebla.

The market supplies everything from fresh fish and seafood, meats and poultry to all kinds of vegetables and fruits brought from local farms or other parts of the country.

"We supply many markets, other businesses or locals, and surrounding states. And even more, we are capable of supplying abroad," Palma said.

Professor Yrmina Eng at the University of Havana, and analyst Ricardo Roman Chang at the China-Mexico Studies Center at Mexico's National Autonomous University, believe that the wholesalers have the potential to expand their business to Cuba and China.

What they need, say the experts, is to have a clear idea of which goods the target countries may be interested in, and they also have to consider trade logistics.

"You have to analyze what export-quality products Mexican agriculture is producing that you can ship to China or Cuba through government traders," said Chang.

According to Eng, while the Cuban market offers suppliers untapped potential, it also presents difficulties.

"There is a great Cuban demand that officials and academics can identify so producers and wholesalers from the Toluca Supply Center can ship those products, though they also need to know about Cuba's needs and deficiencies," said Eng.

Wholesaler Patricia Gonzalez, whose family business makes a range of candles, said first-hand experience has made her optimistic about the possibility of expanding her business through exports.

Earlier this year, during Pope Francis' visit to Cuba, she shipped votive candles and other products to the island.

"Cubans ... know about this market (Toluca Supply Center) and they say it would be a dream to have one like it in their country," she said. Endi