“We see okra being the next big thing,” said Mark Vertrees, marketing director for Agritrade Farms, a grower, shipper and importer headquartered in Deerfield Beach, FL. “Okra has historically been a very ethnic-oriented food that we envision quickly going strongly mainstream. It has phenomenal health and wellness attributes, which is where we are focusing much of our marketing efforts. We are also trying to increase the shelf life of okra by using modified atmosphere technology in retail packaging.”

Agritrade Farms’ ‘Gumbo-Licious’ brand okra being sorted for packaging in Honduras.He noted that Agritrade is also promoting the fact that the company has year-round availability of its “Gumbo-Licious” brand okra.

Agritrade specializes in okra and markets it throughout North America and Europe. The company grows and imports its okra from its farms in Honduras and the Dominican Republic. It also grows greenhouse colored Bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, cucumbers and a complete line of Asian vegetables at its Dominican Republic farms, which Vertrees said ties into the ethnic theme the company conveys. In addition to its own farms, Agritrade works with growing partners, but the company manages the entire growing and packing process of both to ensure strict quality and food-safety standards. The company is Primus-certified.

Vertrees, an independent marketing expert, began with Agritrade in August. The company was founded in 2008 by Paul Boris, who serves as president.

“We distribute okra throughout North America and Europe,” said Vertrees. “Our long-term okra vision is global growth with new innovative okra products. Okra water, okra smoothies and many other products made from okra will help consumers who are less familiar with it to reach out for it and learn what a wonderful product it is. We see okra juice as having the same potential as coconut water.”

He added that Agritrade’s innovative retail “Gumbo-Licious” packaging will be a great aid in drawing consumer attention.

Currently the company is servicing mostly retail stores, foodservice operations and wholesalers.

“Our goal and strategy is to build our retail and foodservice business globally with packaged okra using modified-atmosphere packaging,” said Vertrees. “Okra is highly perishable and we want to be on the forefront of this technology.”

He said that the great tasting “Gumbo-licious”-branded okra would soon be on every U.S. and European table to help manage health and wellness, referring to it as a “superfood.” Agritrade plans to be the okra leader wherever it is consumed.

Vertrees has a lot of Internet support on his side to confirm the health benefits of okra. This typically ethnic- and Southeastern-known vegetable was highlighted in Time magazine on July 22, 2013, in an article headlined “Eat This Now: Okra” by Alexandra Sifferlin. The article stated that the okra trend is spurred by the fact that it is full of fibers that can help to lower cholesterol. Okra also contains nearly 10 percent of daily recommended levels of vitamin B6 and folic acid. And because it is relatively simple to grow in warm climates, okra is becoming popular in north and south China.

“It was the preferred vegetable for the Olympic athletes of the Beijing Olympic Games,” the article quoted Kantha Shelke, a food scientist at Corvus Blue LLC and spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists, as saying.

Diabetes.co.uk reports that evidence of okra having anti-diabetic properties has increased in recent years, with multiple Vitro (laboratory) and Vivo (animal) studies confirming okra as a potent blood glucose-lowering (or anti-diabetic) food.

Vertrees’ list of additional Internet references detailiniging the powerful health and nutritional benefits of okra is lengthy, and he’s happy to share it with anyone who is interested.

Once word spreads among consumers through media venues like cooking networks, television segments and in food magazines, okra is highly likely to become the next kale, with consumers stocking it in their refrigerators next to the milk and eggs, he said.

“In our North American advertising we use the headline, ‘You Say Okra, We say … Gumbo-Licious,’ “ Vertrees siad. “In our European advertising we use the headline, ‘You Say Okra, Bhindi, Bamia, Ladies’ Fingers, We Say …. Gumbo-Licious.’ “

He also pointed out that okra has been around for hundreds of years before coming to the United States and it has many names throughout the world.

“According to Wikipedia, one of the earliest accounts of okra was in Egypt in 1216,” said Vertrees. “We know the day has come for consumers throughout North America and Europe to enjoy, and Agritrade will lead the way in this trend with ‘Gumbo-Licious.’ “