Brazil, despite being the 3rd largest fruit producer in the world, is in 23rd position as a world fruit exporter (Coopercitrus, 2019), standing out in the fruit crops papaya (2nd), melon (4th), mango (5th) , lemon and lime (10th). The revenue obtained from fruit exports in 2018 earned the country the value of 785,7 million dollars, according to the Brazilian Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters (Abrafrutas), and in the 1st half of 2019 there was an increase of approximately 20% in revenue compared to the 1st half of 2018. This positive and significant growth is due to some factors, such as favorable exchange rate, partnership between the Export Promotion Agency (Apex) and Abrafrutas in participation in international fruit fairs (Fruits Logística em Berlin and Fruit Attraction in Madrid) and important advances in the professionalization of the sector, involving certifications and logistics.
Among the various certifications available on the market, the producer/exporter should prioritize Global G.A.P, recognized in more than 80 countries and with more than 100 independent certification bodies. In 1997 (22 years ago), the European retail chain, concerned with the quality and food safety of food purchased from other countries, created a set of standards called Eurep (Euro Retailer Produce Working Group) and GAP (Good Agricultural Practical), whose name became Global G.A.P. in 2007.
The technical principles that underlie the Certification in its 210 items (47 major obligations; 98 minor obligations and 65 recommendations) are based on principles (www.globalgap.org.br) such as Good Agricultural Practices, Traceability, Environmental and Worker Safety and Security To feed.
It consists of Integrated Pest Management, Biological Control, Integrated Disease Management, Covering the soil with low vegetation, Green Fertilization between the orchard rows, Liming and Plastering, Organic Fertilization, Composting, installment of fertilization based on crop phenology, leaf analysis etc.;
Traceability through label, bar code or QR Code on the packaging of the horticultural product will allow access to the producer and, mainly, all cultural practices used in the field, with emphasis on the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) permitted by the Agriculture Agency. Health Surveillance (Anvisa) and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa). At this point there is an important prioritization with important advances in expanding the range of pesticides registered for known small crops, or Minor Crops, in order to allow fruit growers to make their business viable. This point is of paramount importance for all horticultural products, depending on the volume of fruit sold on the domestic market and the recent Normative Instruction No. 1 of Mapa and Anvisa, of April 15, 2019, which made traceability mandatory in the marketing of fruit. and vegetables in a staggered and progressive manner. This requirement has already been in force for citrus, apples and grapes since August 1, 2019. The fruit trees papaya, mango, banana, guava, strawberry and persimmon on August 1, 2020 and in 2021 the other fruit trees (avocado, pineapple, passion fruit, fig, peach, acerola, star fruit) will be inspected. For efficient certification to operate, some practices must be followed, such as dividing the orchard into plots with identification plates; implementation of the field and post-harvest notebook, with notes on all cultural practices used in each plot; implementing a label, barcode or QR Code on packaging.
In individual or group external audits (associations or cooperatives), there will be a need to comply with several mandatory standards, involving the return of empty pesticide packaging (see the website of the National Institute of Empty Packaging Processors – Inpev), granting and analysis of water irrigation, presentation of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Recovery Plan (PRA), if necessary; correct storage of pesticides registered for cultivation; supply of Individual Production Equipment (PPE); Employee Registration, Adequate Transportation; Dining room and bathroom etc.).
Possible contamination of the fruit can occur due to the incorrect use of pesticides, but also due to the presence of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) from harvesting in the field to the supermarket shelf, that is, harvesting instruments, sanitized hands and gloves, plastic boxes, classification environment, packaging and storage of fruits also undergo rigorous check list, and which represent significant gains in efficiency and quality of the final product for the businessman and the consumer;
The vast majority of fruit producing companies have individual certification and need to carry out an Internal Quality System Assessment, demonstrating in a documented manner that the fundamentals of the standard are being met, such as monitoring pests and diseases for integrated management, invoices of purchased inputs, blood analysis of the pesticide spraying technician, etc.
Another important possibility for fruit grower cooperatives is group certification and in this case there is a need to establish a committee of three members who are responsible for the Internal Quality System (SQI). The number of properties to be audited by an accredited external consultancy company must correspond to the square root of the number of people involved, that is, if there are 16 members, four of them must be subjected to verification of the 210 items referring to the checklist, through a draw with the presence of the external auditor.
After investing in all the fundamentals of the standard, it is suggested to carry out an external pre-audit, in order to carry out a preliminary check in relation to all critical control points (PCC), field notebook and post-harvest documentation, etc., as the costs of providing this service are lower. After possible corrections have been identified and with greater security, a call for an external audit is made, which is valid annually.
When planning the commercialization of a horticultural product, there is a need to have extensive knowledge about the post-harvest physiology of the fruit, in order to master conservation techniques (cold chain, type of respiration, adequate packaging, ventilation, palletization, atmospheric controlled, etc.), as well as the procedures relating to the logistics of the product, that is, the role of the customs broker in promoting the issuance and collection of customs taxes (ports or airports), cargo or container insurance, proof of phytosanitary assessment by technicians from the Map and/or Anvisa, etc. As the fruits are more or less perishable, the choice of transport method will basically fall on this point, as the air transport (figs, guava) represents costs approximately six times higher than the sea transport (melon, mango, Tahiti lemon, avocado) , so there is a need for public policies to reduce airport fees so that Brazil is increasingly competitive in the international market. When visiting the Cargo Terminal at Nilo Coelho Airport, in Petrolina (PE), during the XXVI Brazilian Fruit Growing Congress, held from September 29th to October 4th, 2019, we saw that the terminal is idle and the concessionaire is making a loss financial in its operation, as only one cargo plane (Cargo Lux) is loaded weekly with fruit from the São Francisco Valley to Luxembourg, which raises huge concerns about the sustainability of this important export equipment. One of the solutions involves the survey of imports of regional inputs that could stimulate the arrival of new cargo planes to the São Francisco Valley region, as the flow of passengers to return the aircraft with the fruits would have less potential in the short and medium term. term.
Aloísio Costa Sampaio, Unesp - Botucatu Campus
With each new edition, Cultivar Hortaliças e Frutas publishes a series of technical content produced by renowned researchers from all over Brazil, which address the main difficulties and challenges encountered in the field by rural producers. Through research focused on controlling the main pests and diseases in vegetable and fruit cultivation, the Magazine helps farmers in the search for management solutions that increase their profitability. In the April/May edition you can also see:
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
