Fruit and vegetable producers reinvent themselves to recover losses from the pandemic

The pandemic affected the produce sector in different ways. Small producers felt the impacts of the interruption of activities, mainly fairs, restaurants, bars and institutions. Large producers who sell directly to supermarkets were able to maintain the flow of fruit and vegetables and were not as affected by the pandemic. 

Small producers had to look for alternatives to sell the products that were on the farm, such as selling fruit and vegetable baskets via delivery, e-commerce, social networks and WhatsApp. 

Um study by the National Supply Company (Conab) showed that, despite being hit hard in the fairs segment, the impact was smaller on the sale of these products in the main Supply Centers (Ceasas). In the first five months of the year, total sales of vegetables in Ceasas fell 3% compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019. According to the study, although the sale of these products fell due to the closure of bars and restaurants, interruption activities in teaching units and the stoppage of open-air markets, direct consumption of vegetables by families increased. 

The hardest hit subgroup was hardwood. As they are extremely perishable products, the drop in demand combined with the preference for vegetables that can be consumed cooked, caused losses in the field. In the case of fruit, supply at Ceasas in the months of March to May fell 5% compared to 2019 and 1% compared to 2018. 

As they were considered essential sectors by the Ministry of Agriculture, the vegetable and fruit and vegetable sectors had no interruption in their supply. “Issues of flow and production were guaranteed and protocols were developed based on recommendations from the Ministry of Health so that open-air markets and the operation of Ceasas took place within good health rules. This provided the guarantees, in the very short term, for this type of consumption to happen”, explains Luis Rangel. 

O Mapa created a channel on WhatsApp for family farmers to inform the federal agency about possible food losses caused by problems in marketing due to Covid-19. To access the Food Loss Hotline, simply click here or send a message to number (61) 9873-3519. 

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The Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) launched the Feira Segura project in April, with the aim of helping rural producers who were having difficulty selling their production and making food reach Brazilians' tables more easily. 

“Fairs are extremely important for small producers and, therefore, the action contributed to the fairs opening again. The population made purchases from their own cars, the so-called drive thru, without handling the food, and with adequate hygiene of their hands and cardboard and packaging machines,” commented technical advisor to the National Fruit and Vegetable and Flower Commissions of the CNA , Erivelton Cunha. 

Another CNA action is the Mercado CNA program, which offers an e-commerce platform to bring rural producers and consumers together. The platform has an integrated system to speed up the location of buyers and sellers, and rural producers can also create their own page within the portal to advertise their products. 

Mapa, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), issued a series of good practice recommendations for producers and family farmers that supply agricultural products to open-air markets, grocery stores and retail trade. 

According to the Mapa director, the partnership with the private sector was essential to reduce the demand shock and once again stimulate consumption. “Today we see the almost natural resumption of trade in these products, with all the safety measures recommended by health bodies”, says Luis Rangel.