It is
rooted
n
n
n
After the interferenceof theclimateover thepast fewcrops,
alongwiththepersistenteconomicdownturn, thesector
ofvegetables isprojectingamorenormalyear in2017
T
he production of vegetables
belongs to one of the most im-
portant agricultural activities
in Brazil, and things are prob-
ably not different all over the
world. Essential for supplying the every-
day food needs of the population, they
offer a broad range of possibilities in the
countryside. In a Country of continental di-
mensions, as is the case of Brazil, the cul-
tivation alternatives involve hundreds of
species and varieties, which impart flavor,
color and aroma to the dinner table.
The segment of vegetables faced rath-
er adverse and atypical climate conditions
over the past crop years, by virtue of the
phenomenon known as El Niño, which
jeopardized several main species, in the
most representative vegetable produc-
ing frontiers. Particularly in the South-
east and South, home to most veg-
etable gardens, prominent in
cultivation and consumption,
the bad weather conditions
jeopardized the regular de-
velopment of the crops. As
a result, the consumers had to face con-
stant oscillations in supply and price, forc-
ing them to be creative, and occasionally,
opt for other species.
However, housewives will hardly ever
fail to acquire and prepare vegetables,
while, at most, they may momentarily
consider the budget when it comes to go-
ing to the fruit stands and supermarkets.
After all, there is no restaurants, or fami-
lies that do not go in for leafy greens in sal-
ads; tomatoes, Irish potatoes, sweet pota-
toes, cassava (yucca, or manioc), as well as
onion and garlic, spices that are indispens-
able in most dishes. This and a range of
other species are depicted in this edition
of the Brazilian Vegetable Yearbook, with
an updated panorama of the production
and markets, without over-
looking the opinions and in-
formation from representa-
tive entities and leaderships.
In parallel, the publication
tries to dimension the per-
spectives of domestic sales
and equally negotiations with
foreign clients throughout 2017. While
over the past years there is a persistent en-
vironment of political and economic cri-
sis in Brazil, the truth is that the country-
side, week after week, month after month,
programs and reprograms their activities,
once seeding has to occur if, some months
later, a crop is to be harvested, thus supply-
ing the population. There is no crisis or re-
cession that interferes with the need to put
food on the dinner table of the people and,
therefore, the rural producers and the en-
trepreneurs analyze costs and project their
expenses in order to continue producing.
In mid-year, with winter getting colder
in the South of the Country, investors and
entrepreneurs were considering the second
half of the year. When spring starts it is time
toseedmost of the summer vegetables, and
it will signal the amount of products avail-
able in the market, making it comfortable
on the consumer side. There is total confi-
dence. After all, if there is an activity that is
rooted in Brazil, it is the production of veg-
etables, which drives the progress and is
good to people’s health.
Happy Reading!
6
Inor Ag. Assmann
