From the Newsroom
São Paulo – Fresh fruit export brought the country US$ 335.3 million in 2003, a 39.1% increase in comparison to 2002, when the total was US$ 241 million, figures supplied on January 20 by the Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply Ministry.
The sector surplus reached US$ 267 million last year, against US$ 157 million in the previous 12 months. The Brazilian target is now to increase foreign sales to US$ 1 billion up to 2010. For this purpose, the fruit culture productive chain and the federal government are investing in programs for sanitation, production process modernization, and international marketing.
In of volume, fruit culture export totalled 809,000 tonnes last year. This represents a 21% increase over 2002, when shipping totalled 668,900 tonnes.
The main destinations of Brazilian fresh fruit are the Low Countries, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Spain, the United States, Uruguay, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, , and Canada. Brazil wants to increase foreign trade with the Asian countries, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, among other regions.
Employment and Income
The sector currently hires over five million people and occupies an area of 3.4 million hectares. For every US$ 10,000 invested in fruit culture, it is possible to generate up to three direct and two indirect jobs.
"Due to its potential job and revenue generation, fruit culture is strategic for the country," says technician Saulo Gonzales, of the Agriculture Ministry Fruit Development Program (Profruta).
"Fruit production permits gross revenue of between US$ 350 and US$ 7,000 per hectare."
Five productive chains elevated sector export last year. The mango sector led the rank in fruit culture, with sales totalling US$ 73.4 million, equivalent to 133,300 tonnes last year.
In comparison to 2002, this result represents a growth of 44% in of revenues and 29% in volume.
Grapes, apples, melons, paw-paw, and oranges were also important in the trade fruit export basket.
Trade balance
In the last three years, the trade balance has been accumulating positive results. "In 2001, the surplus was US$ 113 million, rising to US$ 157 million in 2002. There was therefore a US$ 44 million increase," stresses the technical manager of the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf) Export Service Centre, Maurício Sá Ferraz.
"In 2003, with a balance of US$ 267 million, the rise in comparison to the previous year was US$ 110 million."
The third largest fruit producer in the world, losing only to China and India, the country produces around 38 million tonnes/year.
However, Brazilian foreign fruit trade corresponds to just 1.6% in of revenues and 2% in of total export volume in the sector. In of foreign trade, Brazil occupies the 20th position among exporters, in a market that moves around US$ 21 billion/year, representing a consumption of almost 40 million tonnes.
As the domestic market absorbs around 21 million tonnes per year, the amount free for export is 17 million tonnes.
"This makes it possible to greatly increase our export, avoiding loss in the sector and generating jobs and revenues, specially in of family agriculture," continues Saulo Gonzales.
"This is an activity that does not require excessively qualified labour. Apart from that, it is fundamental in basing people in the country."
To provide an impulse to fruit culture, Brazil has been intensifying sanitary operations. With abundant water, a favourable climate, and fertile land, the country has an enviable potential for quality fruit production. But that alone is not enough to open new markets. For this purpose, the government and the productive chain are investing in programs for the eradication of pests and diseases that threaten orchards and in modernization of production, treatment, packaging, and storage processes.
Integrated production
One of the main guidelines for export increase in Brazilian fruit culture is the implementation of the Integrated Fruit Production system (IFP) – demanded by some import markets, such as the European. This system predicts cultivation of high quality sanitary fruit, within norms for environmental protection, food safety, and economic viability, through the use of technologies that are not aggressive to the environment and to man.
"The fruit produced in this system goes on the market with a label of conformity, attesting quality and sanitary safety," informs Saulo Gonzáles.
According to him, IFP also permits product tracking, providing greater consumer safety.
Thanks to the adoption of these norms, there has been a 63.4% reduction agrochemical use in Brazilian mango fields, 50% in paw-paw, 32% in grape, and 30% in apple.
According to Profruta, the country currently counts on various integrated fruit production poles.
Among them are the production of apples in the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, mangoes in the northeastern states of Bahia and Pernambuco; paw-paws in the southeastern state of Espírito Santo and Bahia; bananas in the southeastern state of São Paulo and in Santa Catarina; peaches in Rio Grande do Sul; figs and guavas in São Paulo; and cashew and melons in the northeastern states of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará.
Quality and sanitary
The Agriculture Ministry and the private sector are conscious of the need for quality promotion of fresh fruit on the international market. This is being done through Brazilian Fruit – an international marketing program developed by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex) together with the Ibraf. Among other actions, Brazilian Fruit also forecasts domestic fruit culture participation in the main world sector trade fairs.
Last year the Agribusiness Council (Consagro) created a Fruit Culture Productive Chain Sector Chamber – a consultancy organization turned to the discussion of public sector policies. The establishment of the chamber is another government step aiming at the strengthening of the fruit culture sector.
