The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Mining is working hard to expand the export base of the province so that more and more SMEs achieve the internationalization of their products through ProCórdoba Agency's programs.

Minister Acastello explained,

"Our goal is for more products and services to be exported from Córdoba, in order to ensure jobs in the agroindustries."

The Business Intelligence Service offered by the Agency is designed to help companies in our province to position their products in strategic markets. It seeks to achieve a medium- and long-term vision of the export activity of each industrial sector in different potential markets, in order to prepare our province's export offer for global demands. At present it is offered to companies in the dairy, milling, pasta & baking, auto parts, rubber & plastics, agricultural machinery and software sectors. The Agency conducts a study of the local offer in each sector it works with, as well as a detailed analysis of the variables that directly affect business activities.
ProCórdoba is a pioneer in this kind of research, and the information gathered is used to develop an Export Development Program specifically designed to face the needs of each sector and company.

Dassa Desarrollos Agroindustriales del Sur SA joined the Export Development Program for the milling sector less than a year ago. The firm, based in Jesús María since 2012, has recently achieved its first export, as it sold 24 tons of chickpea to an important company in Canada.

Partner Gustavo Siciliano talked to us and said,

"There are very good prospects of doing more business with the client --it's a large firm that buys almost anything. Our next target is an Italian client we're about to close a deal with, and we have also submitted some quotes for Viet Nam and India. For new companies like ours, penetrating these markets is not easy: they demand big volumes and that's a bit complicated. The idea is to coordinate the offer with other exporters from the area so as to satisfy the demand together. We produce, process and commercialize our product trying to generate added value. Four years ago, we set up a state-of-the-art processing plant in Sinsacate and started entering into agreements with third parties that covered a range of stages, from seeding to bagging, and led to a product ready for exporters in Buenos Aires. We were missing the last link: doing our own export."

As a beneficiary of the Export Development Program, Dassa participated, in September 2019, in the second International Business Round held by ProCórdoba Agency at the 85th "Expo Rural" of Río Cuarto. Siciliano does not take the event for granted --as he says, many of the firms they established a contact with then are still requesting quotations.

"Besides, with financial assistance from ProCórdoba we traveled to a food fair in Chile. We owe a lot to ProCórdoba's advisory. Without it, we would not have gotten this far. The Agency did a great job in training us and were very much available for us. Participating in business rounds, talking directly to buyers... These things open your mind. We've learned a lot, really. Going out into the world is possible. You need to put in the effort and get help, of course.

In addition to participating in the trade promotion activities, the company received customized training in commercialization strategies and customs operations, which endowed them with important skills for the export activity.

To the team at Dassa, congratulations!