Ahead of Guatemala signing an EU free trade agreement in May, Agexport, the Guatemalan Exporters' Association, has joined forces with the country's government to hold trade fair Euroexpo to encourage fruit and vegetable companies to trade with the UK and mainland Europe.

The multi-sector trade fair Euroexpo will be made up of more than 25 per cent fresh produce companies and will run from 31 May to 3 June at Centro de Convencions Tikal Futura in Guatemala.

Regina Espana, trade promotion and intelligence manager at Agexport, told freshinfo at Fruit Logistica 2010: “Guatemala will sign our part of the Central American agreement by May and our plan is to create our own Fruit Logistica in Guatemala. We will invite European companies and buyers to meet with the Guatemalan fresh produce industry.

“The free trade agreement will offer our industry a lot more opportunities to do further business with the UK and Europe and open windows that we have never been able to open before.”

The Guatemalan fresh produce industry exports mainly niche vegetables to the UK, with sugarsnap peas and snowpeas making up the majority of its sendings.

2010 was the third consecutive year that Guatemala had a presence at Fruit Logistica in its own booth, which consisted of 11 companies this year.