Newsletter 45 – Companies from Peru and Chile in search of more businesses in Valle del Cauca
• During one month, Invest Pacific led four business missions focused on technology, services, agribusiness, and logistics, in three Latin American countries: Chile, Argentina and Peru. New investment opportunities set their focus on this Colombian region.
Valle del Cauca continues exploring more investment opportunities in strategic markets to promote new companies. It was now the turn for businessmen from Peru and Chile, to learn about the competitive advantages offered by Valle del Cauca, as an exporting and distribution platform to extend their operations, thanks to a business mission led by Invest Pacific, in partnership with Valle del Cauca’s Governor’s Office, through the Department of Economic Development and Competitiveness.
This business mission took place between 19th to 30th of September, led by the Investments Manager for the agribusiness and logistic sectors of Invest Pacific, Daniella Guzman. A one-week participation from ‘Expoalimentaria’, the most important Food products fair of Latin America. There were also meetings held in Lima with Agro-exporting companies of Hass avocado and logistic services for the fresh fruit industry, in partnership with ProColombia and the Colombo-Peruvian Chamber.
As a result of this visit to Peru, new investment opportunities were achieved by companies interested in exploring the Hass avocado Agro-exporting; companies devoted to animal nutrition and health, and agricultural supplies; as well as distribution centers for logistic issues. The Peruvian investment, which already exists in Valle del Cauca, reaches USD $156 Million US Dollars, with 15 projects that generate one thousand direct and formal jobs in the region. Some success cases are companies like Danper, Camposol, Agrogenesis and Ransa.
The second phase of this mission ended in Santiago de Chile. During the last week of September more companies and organizations were visited, such as the Palta Committee, the Logistics Association of Chile and the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile, to strengthen relationships and introduce Valle del Cauca as a cost-efficient destination for agribusiness, with the leverage of the Colombo-Chilean Chamber and ProColombia.
Chile has a direct foreign investment in Valle del Cauca of USD $51.2 million US Dollars, with 12 investment projects in the region, that generate 558 jobs, playing an important part in the formalization of Colombian farming. Some success cases to mention are: Green SuperFood and Agricola Ocoa.
“Colombia and Valle del Cauca are a strategic market for Chilean and Peruvian businessmen of the agribusiness and logistics, to bring their operation in a near future, and they see the country as a stable destination with a very competitive cost structure, and that is why they have considered us for future extension plans”, stressed Daniella Guzman, Sector Investment Manager for Invest Pacific, who led both missions.
Why the interest in Valle del Cauca?
“We are very pleased to keep connecting more foreign businesspeople with Valle del Cauca. We are Colombia’s agricultural pantry, bringing 35% of domestic production, we have the best road infrastructure in the whole country, and its cost structure for warehouse and lot rental is very competitive for companies looking to serve both international and domestic markets. It is the more suitable region for deliveries to other areas in the country, having access to 75% of the internal market, that is why we’re looking to attract more South American investment with these missions”, explained Pedro Andres Bravo, Economic Development and Competitiveness Secretary.
In turn, Alejandro Ossa, Executive Director of Invest Pacific highlights that: “Valle del Cauca is the gateway for the rest of the country, featuring the most important Maritime port of Colombia on the Pacific Ocean: the Port of Buenaventura. This port moves 43% of the country’s international trading, which represents a great opportunity for companies with a high component of international trading and logistics operation”.
Business missions are part of a promotion strategy led by Invest Pacific in synergy with the region’s Institutionality, namely Valle del Cauca’s Governor’s Office, to identify new investment opportunities, by fostering encounters with potential investors. The first two weeks of September, other missions were executed in Chile and Argentina, focused on the technology and service sectors, which also provided new opportunities for the region.
In October a mission was achieved in Brazil, promoting Valle del Cauca as an exporting platform for manufacturing operations, with the leverage of the Department of Economic Development and Competitiveness of Valle del Cauca Governor’s Office.
Some facts about agribusiness and logistics in this Colombian region:
