Having made the strategic decision to secure resources and due to the resulting backward integration, Chimaco SA, the Nicaraguan sister of the Swiss company Frutco AG, has succeeded in successfully cultivating 60 ha of organic passion fruit of the genetically protected „Chiamco Variety“ on its 200-ha farm „Gemasteppe“.

In addition, Chimaco SA agronomists manage the company’s own demo plantation, on which contract farmers are trained in the proper and sustainable cultivation and care of the plants in conventional passion fruit cultivation. They support the growers with technical know-how and agricultural expertise throughout the entire duration of the cooperation. Currently, 200 ha of sustainably cultivated fruit (60 ha of which are organic) are available for processing. In the medium term, this will be expanded to approx. 1,000 ha, with the Swiss group guaranteeing to purchase 100 % of the growers’ produce. The area under cultivation will always be a mix of the group’s own farmland and third-party, medium-sized growers. This, together with the company’s own processing of the fruit by Frutco de las Americas SA in Chinandega fully ensures the maintenance of a fully sustainable supply chain and guarantees stable prices over several years.

Frutco de las Americas SA’s new factory building — a 100 % subsidiary of our holding CT Finance AG — has been completed and is located in a duty-free zone directly in the centre of the cultivation area, near the Pacific port of Puerto Corinto. The work on the interior is in full swing. The fully-automated Rossi&Catelli production plant by CFT in Parma will be shipped to Nicaragua in early 2019. Frutco de las Americas SA is set to start production in Q2 2019.

With “taste” being such a trending focal point at SIAL Paris 2018 many visitors were keen to discover our passion fruit exotic juice and food preps

Passina’s new branding and natural passion fruit-based food products attracted the attention of crowds of international food stakeholders at SIAL Paris 2018. Almost 160,000 visitors attended the international food trade fair.

“Our clients and partners understood our new concept and approach towards branding in the face of the intense competition the sector faces today. We know that collaboration is key to developing new products”, said Dr Pablo Hafner, Passina Group CEO.

Exploiting the innovation of passion fruit-products

“We have our own R&D department and are also partnering with various research organisations, mainly in the US and Europe. We are now in the research phase and want to launch nutritional supplements based on passion fruit in 2019”, added the CEO.

International experts in the food industry can discover the new applications through recipes prepared by the R&D team for the show:

• Tastings of passion fruit juice, smoothies and dips.
• Concept cards adapted to different sectors: juice & food preps, confectionery and cosmetics.
• Besides adding an exotic and savoury touch to dishes, passion fruit and its ingredients offer a range of health benefits, such as:
• Adding low-calorie, enriching fibres to dietetic snacks (from seeds).
• Reducing sleep disorders and restlessness through herbal teas (from leaves and extracts).
• Anti-inflammatory effects.

Digital presentations displayed at the Passina stand presented the company and its new brand identity. Passina attracted potential collaborators from various sectors and new business partnerships emerged during the busy fair. “We have seen positive outcomes from sales, R&D, and project managers within the food and nutritional supplement sectors”, said Hafner.

This all forms part of the ongoing development of Passi AG, including the sale of the non-passion fruit business to Döhler Group. The sale is currently being evaluated by the antitrust authorities and is conditional on their approval, with the outcome expected to be announced by the first half of November 2018.

Döhler Group and Passina Group have reached an agreement on the acquisition of Concentra Europe BV with its Dutch and German subsidiaries by Döhler Group. The proposed transaction has now been filed with the relevant antitrust authorities and is conditional upon their approval.

This transaction marks a step where customers will benefit from a more complete offering and improved efficiency of the combined businesses in a global market that is characterised by volatility, as well as the challenges and opportunities of supply and demand. Döhler Group and Passina Group believe that this step has created a path towards further growth in the market, while simultaneously strengthening their respective positions, specifically as reliable suppliers of tropical and natural plant-based ingredients for the global food & beverage industry.

Concentra Holding AG, owner of the brand name Passina, will focus its future activities on its core business; the production and commercialisation of passion fruit products, including passion fruit juices, concentrates and derivatives. Maintaining its high quality standards, it will place additional focus on the development of innovative new products and solutions.