Two Italians stand out for Brazil nuts – O Jornal Económico
“Seeing our work recognized lifts our soul. It was not easy for two Italians to arrive in Portugal and try to be players in the world of chestnuts”, says to Jornal Económico Francesco Marchese, managing partner of Monsurgel, after the company won the SME Trophy awarded by the Luso-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry . “It was hard work to get to Portugal deep down and win without creating distrust in the market”, he adds.
Monsurgel’s objective is essentially based on working with fresh chestnuts, frozen chestnuts and also the recently launched “Snack Castanha na Hora”, all taking advantage of the family’s experience of five decades with the chestnut. “The ‘Snack Castanha na Hora’ is one of the most innovative products in Portugal. If someone imagined opening a Tetrapack package and having chestnuts ready to eat, now it’s come true”, says Francesco Marchese.
The company is also committed to a sustainable operation, producing and using renewable energies, through the installation of solar panels. It also has a wastewater treatment plant and the nuts come from extensive or even organic production.
New markets in sight
About the future, Marchese affirms “the hope” of reaching explore new markets. “It is on our horizons to reach North America with greater strength, for example. Obviously, we have already ventured into the production of other frozen fruit such as apricots, strawberries or blueberries, but nuts will always be the pillar of our work: whether fresh, frozen or even as a snack”, he says.
He explains that, in the last ten years, the area planted with chestnut trees has tripled and that the profitability for the gains has increased. Researched on the quality of Brazil nuts in Portugal, demand is also high in several countries. However, it also identifies problems: “We have an obstacle to production due to pests and diseases, which, if nothing is done, can decimate production. There are already civil servants and some public institutions to develop some work in this area and it is crucial to continue complying”, he points out.
What Monsurgel produces is focused on the international market. “The sale of product in Portugal is not a priority for us, for the time being. Portugal has no tradition of consuming chestnuts beyond the São Martinho period. It would be necessary here to invest in publicizing the excellent nutritional quality that this dried fruit has”, says Francesco Marchese. “There is talk of almonds, walnuts or goji berries and chestnuts are always forgotten. It’s still far away from the table of traditional Portuguese families, but it’s a superfood”, she guarantees.
For 2022, Monsurgel wants to bet on the products it already has. “We believe in them. We know we have excellent quality”, says the manager.
The defined objective is to exceed 10 million euros in turnover within the next year.