Abrafrutas and Embrapa articulate a partnership for the development of fruit growing

The Brazilian Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruit and Derivatives (Abrafrutas) held on Thursday (13) the first in a series of visits and meetings to six Embrapa Units that carry out fruit farming research.

The entity's executive director Eduardo Brandão began the series of meetings at Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros (Aracaju, SE), where he was received by managers and researchers specialized in coconut, mangaba, citrus and other fruit crops. Interim general manager Marcelo Fernandes presented the Unit's research agenda and details of the open innovation model adopted at Embrapa.

The initiative aims to implement a broad research and development partnership, coordinated with Embrapa's Executive Board, to increase the global competitiveness of Brazilian fruit growing, adding value, increasing the quality and shelf life of fruits, expanding exports and generating greater gains for the sector and Brazilian society. 

All of this is the result of the implementation of National Fruit Production Development Plan (PNDF), released in 2018 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), which has among its guidelines the creation of the National Fruit Development Fund (Funfrut). 

The fund will be launched at the end of March and will have Abrafrutas as coordinator of the productive sector and Embrapa as a public research institution, with the establishment of a public-private partnership and channeling resources from the sector for research through co-financed projects.

In order to “not spoil the various surprises”, Brandão, on behalf of the Abrafrutas Board, preferred not to give details about the volumes of resources available, the duration of the initiative and other specifications of the fund. “All of this will be detailed at the launch ceremony, which takes place on March 31st in Brasília”, he guaranteed. 

According to the director, the main focus of visits to the Units is to learn more about their agendas and research plans in fruit growing and to present new demands from the sector, which in 2019 reached 1 billion dollars in fruit exports, opening new commercial frontiers, which include China, a colossal consumer market. “Only last year we managed to export the first batch of fresh fruits to this Asian giant, and the possibilities that open up are very promising, but we need advances in research and development of solutions, mainly focusing on quality and post-harvest,” he revealed. 

In addition to the Unit based in Aracaju, the visit agenda includes Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos (Rio de Janeiro, RJ), Agroindústria Tropical (Fortaleza, CE), Amapá (Macapá, AP), Cassava and Fruticulture (Cruz das Almas, BA) and Semi-arid (Petrolina, PE). “This does not mean that partnerships will only be signed with these Units. This was just the starting point based on what Abrafrutas already knew about Embrapa and the directions based on conversations with the Board of Directors”, he explained.