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Year 2016 was marked by the launch of two new cultivars of
bananas by Embrapa Cassava and Fruit Farming. According to
Edson Perito Amorim, the BRS Pacovan is the first banana cul-
tivar of the Pacovan type registered and protected in Brazil by
the National Cultivar Protection Service (SNPC), linked to the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (Mapa). “The
cultivar was developed jointly with Embrapa Eastern Amazon
specifically for the State of Pará, the fourth biggest producer of
bananas in the Country”, she comments.
The BRS SCS Belluna is the first cultivar launched by Em-
brapa indicated for processing, which adds value to the fruit
through the addition of byproducts, like banana paste, flour,
green biomass and chips. Specifically destined for Santa Cata-
rina, the development of the cultivar counted on a partnership
with the State Rural Extension and Agricultural Research Com-
pany (Epagri). The farmers in Santa Catarina rank as third big-
gest producers of the fruit in the Country and traditionallymake
processed foods frombananas.
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New varieties
In 2016, less than 1% of the national
production of bananas was exported
hectare, achieving the desired target. In the
states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraná and
Santa Catarina, where production relies on
advanced technology, productivityamount-
ed to 26 tons per hectare.
“One of the contributing factors for this
dissimilar results is the level of technolo-
gy appropriate for micro and mesoregions,
which, althoughdisseminated and available,
is not yet popular”, explains Áurea, stressing
that dense planting per variety, associated
withgoodmanagement practices, has apos-
itive influence on the results. The specialist
also notes the profits derived by the farmers.
“Banana crops, among all other fruits crops,
result into the best profits per hectare, taking
into consideration the entire life cycle of the
bananaplantations”, shenotes.
With gains for the Brazilian growers
and consumers, along with the nutrients
that contain health related properties, ba-
nanas produced in Brazil are rarely sent
abroad. The heated market in 2016 re-
sulted into exports of less than 1 percent,
64,361,054 tons – smaller amount com-
pared to 2015, when shipments amount-
ed to 80,275,478 tons, 1.17% of the en-
tire domestic crop. From 2001 to 2016,
the biggest volume exported occurred in
2002, with 245,336.51 tons (3.67% of the
crop). “From 2010 onward, this amount
has been falling, just like the percentage
share, less than 2%”, Áurea notes.
