Brazil’sfruitfarmingbusinessisveryattrac-
tive and there are favorable conditions for a
leap in production and exports over the year.
Thevolumeofthecropwasestimatedat43.5
million tons for 2017, smaller than the 44.8
milliontonsinthepreviousyear,accordingto
the Brazilian Fruit Growers and Exporters As-
sociation (Abrafrutas). Fruit productioncould
experience a 5-percent increase in 2018, tak-
ing advantageof the favorable climate, antic-
ipates EduardoBrandão, technical advisor to
the Fruit Farming Committee at the Brazilian
Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock
(CNA). Therefore, the total volume of the
fruits could reach 45.6million tons.
Vacancies
available
Brazil could further increase its annual
fruit crop estimated at nearly 44million tons,
as opportunities abound
Fruitconsumption
andexports are
runningbehind
the existing
potential in
theCountry
The Association took into consideration
the data of the year informed by the Bra-
zilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
(IBGE) and those furnished by the associ-
atemembers. Together, 22 fruit species pro-
duced 38.8 million tons in 2016, according
to IBGE sources. This is the most recent to-
tal disclosed by the Institute.
Considered to be rather insignificant,
fresh fruit exports and derivatives, including
nuts and chestnuts, brought in revenue of
US$ 946.792 million and 878.400 thousand
tons in 2017, with respective increases of
11.2% and 7.83%. The volume, with the ex-
clusion of nuts and chestnuts, reached US$
l
AT HOME
Most fruitsproduced inBrazil aredemandedby thepopulationandby theprocess-
ing industry. Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables evolved from 33% in 2008
to 35.2% in 2016, according to Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chron-
ic Diseases by Telephone Survey (VIGITEL), conducted by the Ministry of Health. Only
one out of every three adults consumed fruits and vegetables in five days of theweek,
in 2016. The target of the ministry consists in stimulating a 17.8% increase in the con-
sumption of fruits and vegetables, by 2019.
Despite theeconomic crisis, fruit farmingmade strides inproductionvolume, com-
mercialization,domesticconsumption,exportsandinqualitycontrol in2017,summa-
rizes economist Erick de Brito Farias, market analyst at Horticultural Market Modern-
ization, a division of the National Food Supply Agency (Conab. According to him, the
publicandprivatesectorscouldjoineffortstowardssolvingbottlenecks,whilstconsol-
idating newmarkets andboosting productivity as awhole. He equally suggests the in-
sertion andmaintenance of state-of-the-art technologies at field level, investments in
publicity for commercialization reasons, easeof access tocredit lines for farmers anda
change in legislation that curbs the development of the sector.
812.846 million and 861.501 thousand tons.
On the other hand, imports amounted to
US$ 723.908 million and 494.906 thousand
tons in 2017, with nuts and chestnuts.
The target set by Abrafrutas and by the
CNAconsistsinexportingfruitworthUS$1bil-
lion, without including the amount paid for
nuts and chestnuts, by 2020. “Negotiations
involving the shipment of melons and water-
melons to China are on the right track”, says
Brandão. Therewas also a chance to increase
the shipments to Mercosur and to the Euro-
pean Union. Currently, the Country, in spite
of producing the third biggest fruit crop in the
world,ranks23rdinglobalexports.
Brandão acknowledges the effort of the
government in its attempts to find new mar-
ketsnowadays.Nonetheless,thereisstillabig
shortfall in the bilateral agreements, which
keeps the fruit sector at a great disadvantage
before themaincompetitors in theAmericas.
Notwithstanding the endeavor in reducing
the red tape in theexportingprocesses, there
is still much left to achieve to redesign these
processes taking advantage of the benefits
from information technology, for example.
Furthermore, there is need to speed up the
roadway, ports and airports modernization
process. “Fruits are perishable products and
require much speed in all steps that come in
anticipation to thearrival of theproduct at the
consumer’shome”,herecalls.
Inor Ag. Assmann
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