With more than five decades of experience in Chile’s agro-export sector, Nama Exportaciones S.A. has established itself as a trusted supplier of high-quality agro-industrial products to international markets. Based in Linares, the company operates a HACCP-certified processing plant, ensuring strict quality control, full traceability, and food safety across its entire portfolio, which includes lupins, rice, fruits, and honey.
In this interview, Branko Pavic, representing Nama Exportaciones, shares insights into the company’s export strategy, the growing global demand for Chilean products, and the opportunities Nama identifies across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East, highlighting the strengths that position the company as a reliable partner in demanding international markets.
Can you introduce Nama Exportaciones and its differentiated product offering?
Nama Exportaciones is a Chilean family-owned company with more than 50 years of experience in the agri-export sector. Our proposal is based on specialization, commercial reliability, and full control of the process, from origin to export.
We operate our own processing plant in the city of Linares, where we process and export our products under strict quality standards. We are one of the few companies in the sector—and the only one in lupins—with HACCP certification, an in-house analysis laboratory, and highly trained staff. This ensures traceability, precision, and consistency in every shipment.
Our strength lies in offering reliable, homogeneous products tailored to the specific requirements of each market.
How are lupins positioned in international markets?
Chile is one of the most recognized origins worldwide for lupins, and Nama Exportaciones is a key player in this industry. We export both bitter and sweet lupins.
In Europe (Portugal, Spain, and Italy), the most demanded calibers are 13/15 mm and 15/17 mm, the latter being extremely scarce and highly valued.
In the Middle East, sweet lupins—especially calibers 9/12 mm—have a strong presence in markets such as Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon, as well as shipments to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
A key strategic market is Egypt, which in some years accounts for up to 50% of total Chilean lupin exports. For this reason, Gulfood is a fundamental platform to strengthen commercial relationships and adjust conditions that allow for competitive volumes in the MENA region.
What distinguishes your honey and rice exports?
Chilean honey is characterized by its high purity and compliance with demanding international standards. It is currently exported mainly to Germany, one of the world’s most rigorous markets in terms of quality control, which endorses its excellence. Presenting it at Gulfood opens opportunities to diversify destinations in the Middle East.
As for rice, Chile produces a grain variety recognized for its quality, texture, and uniformity, appreciated in specialized markets. Although volumes are more limited, there are specific export opportunities to countries such as Turkey and Brazil, where Chilean rice is highly valued.
Both honey and rice are processed and dispatched from our Linares plant, under the same quality control standards applied to all our products.
What quality and origin attributes define your products?
Our products stand out for their Chilean origin, internationally associated with food safety, traceability, and quality. This is complemented by:
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Processing in our own HACCP-certified plant
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In-house analysis laboratory
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Specialized personnel with extensive experience
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Certified weighing and logistics equipment
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A professional and transparent approach to documentation and operations
These attributes allow us to offer reliable, consistent products aligned with the regulations of the world’s most demanding markets.
What opportunities do you see in the Middle East?
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA region) represent a strategic market for Nama Exportaciones, especially for lupins. There is sustained demand, strong product knowledge, and clear appreciation for Chilean origin.
Gulfood is key to strengthening long-standing commercial relationships with Middle Eastern clients, deepening ties with Egyptian buyers, and exploring new opportunities in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries.
The fair also coincides with the beginning of the harvest season in Chile, allowing us to arrive with updated information and real availability, facilitating the closing of business opportunities.
Nama Exportaciones
Contact: Branko Pavic
Email: bpavic@nama.cl
