Entering the US market with a new product is not an easy matter, nor does it take place in a matter of days. The Inca Trail achieved that goal with a seafood that, although it has its reputation in that nation, has entered this semester in a new presentation: dehydrated shrimp in a snack version.
Under three flavors, this innovation comes from a small plant set up in Zamora Chinchipe, which started two years ago producing only dehydrated meat snacks (dry and cured) for the local market.
Russian Evgeny Roginskiy, who arrived in Ecuador six years ago, is behind this development. With his chef and engineering knowledge and that of his wife, who is a nutritionist, they began to develop these value-added products.
"We started with dehydrated beef and pork, which are like ham and jerky, Spanish type, ready to eat," says the 37-year-old foreigner, who managed to place his production in supermarkets and airport stores.
In the assembly of the plant in Zamora Chinchipe they invested around 800,000 dollars to start this project. The firm has contracts for the supply of raw materials of up to 70 tons to be able to produce around one million units of products per year.
Ten months ago they began to explore the possibility of adding value to shrimp. And so they came to obtain presentations of dehydrated shrimp in black pepper and salt (basic flavor), with garlic and spicy jalapeño flavor.
For that, they invested in new machinery and followed certification processes to be able to make shipments to the United States. At the same time, they opened a subsidiary company in that nation to help with marketing. They have a winery there.
In October they made the first export and already have two shipments of dehydrated shrimp in the middle of this pandemic.
The United States is a huge market, with potential, especially for innovative products. The main export products to that country are shrimp, bananas, flowers, fresh fish and canned tuna. Among the five main products, 67% of non-oil exports are concentrated, according to data from the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor).
The Inca Trail sells part of its production in the giant Amazon, which opens up possibilities for it to reach different parts of the United States. "It is an opportunity, because if you are in Amazon, other buyers will have more confidence to be with you," says Roginskiy, who previously held positions in the technology area of private companies and had restaurants.
On Amazon, the shrimp snack sells for $ 9.95 for a 45-gram package. In Ecuador, meat snacks are sold at $ 3.60 for 30 grams.
The company has participated in business meetings to promote its products in various markets. ProEcuador, the state commercial office, has supported their entry into the United States.
The Inca Trail is optimistic that these types of snacks, which are produced with local ingredients and have added value, are in high demand in the United States and other markets.
"We want to continue developing a line of dehydrated seafood snacks for the United States and develop the same in Canada and Mexico," says Roginskiy, who settled in the Ecuadorian Amazon attracted by its nature.
Fuente: https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2020/11/10/nota/8044141/snacks-camarones-deshidratados-ecuatorianos
