Technology makes it possible to export Brazilian mangoes to South Africa

In September, South Africa received the first batch of Brazilian mangoes. 25 tons were exported after five years of negotiations. The transaction was only possible thanks to the hydrothermal treatment of fruits, a technology developed by a research network led by Embrapa over two decades ago.

The obstacle came from decisions by the main fruit import markets, which do not accept the application of chemical products to control fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata), one of the biggest threats to global fruit farming as it affects different types and varieties of fruit.

For a long time, Brazil only used chemical control to combat the pest, a practice that closed the doors of several international markets that adopt demanding phytosanitary barriers.

Hot water and insect control 

Developed in the early 1990s, the Brazilian technique was an adaptation of a fruit treatment used in other countries, such as Mexico, and consists of dipping fruits weighing up to 425 grams in water heated to 46ºC for 75 minutes and fruits weighing between 426g and 650g, for 90 minutes. The process kills insect eggs or larvae that are present. The work of Brazilian scientists was to develop parameters for national conditions and to combat fruit flies, since at the time the technique was only used for other pests.

In addition to hydrothermal treatment, monitoring of fly populations in the field was recommended, in order to support combat using chemical-free methods, such as installing bait in the orchard and other integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.

The success of the solution led to a new Brazilian model of phytosanitary certificate, which opened up markets in South Korea, Japan, Chile, Argentina, the United States, the European Union and, recently, South Africa, to national fruit growing.

The research network responsible for developing the technique is made up of experts from Embrapa, the Biosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo (IB/USP) and the Moscamed Brasil biofactory, with the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the support of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruit and Vegetables and Derivatives of the São Francisco Valley (Valexport).

 New Markets 

According to the president of the Moscamed Brasil biofactory, Jair Fernandes Virgínio, hydrothermal treatment was essential for the mango fruits to reach the quality level necessary to be shipped around the world and open new markets. “It was a great challenge. In addition to killing eggs and larvae, the protocol could not compromise the quality of the fruits and the shelf life, which is the shelf life. The strategy also took into account the risk of infestation for the importing country. Another major concern was finding the appropriate temperature according to the size of the fruit”, he recalls.

A social organization recognized by Mapa and the Government of Bahia, Moscamed is solely responsible for certification, throughout Brazil, for those who export mangoes to the United States produced in orchards with some degree of fruit fly infestation. In the São Francisco Valley region, the company weekly monitors 5.339 hectares of mangoes with potential for export. Certification is only provided to orchards with a Fly-Trap-Day index (MAD) lower than 1. “A MAD above 0,5 is a trigger and the property needs to use control measures”, states Jair Virgínio.

Solution for demanding markets 

The executive director of the Brazilian Association of Fruit and Derivatives Exporters (Abrafrutas), José Eduardo Brandão Costa, confirms the importance of treatment. “It was the solution found by the sector to enter demanding markets like the United States. Their biggest fear was that, during the eight to ten days of transportation there, there was a possibility that the fruits would carry fly eggs or larvae,” he reports.

Endorsed by producers, the treatment has gained importance, especially due to its profitability. Frederico Costa, commercial director of Ibacem Agrícola, located in Curaçá, in the northern region of Bahia, talks about Embrapa's contribution to the research that culminated in the protocol. “Without it, it would not be possible to export mangoes to the United States, Japan, Chile and Argentina, which are markets that require hydrothermal treatment, developed in partnership with exporting producers interested in these markets.”

Employing 900 employees during the peak of the harvest, Ibacem Agrícola annually exports around 1,5 million boxes of Tommy Atkins mangoes to the United States. “Undoubtedly, Moscamed provides an extraordinary service in the São Francisco Valley, carrying out technical-scientific monitoring and recommending the treatments that are necessary in the field, so that the problems of exporting producers are minimized. Nothing can be done empirically in an activity like ours, with the level of demand of the fruit market. It is very important for producers to come together, in line with Moscamed, so that the fight against fruit flies is systemic, permanent, and not occasional”, says Frederico Costa.

According to Tássio Lustoza Silva Gomes, executive manager of Valexport, an association created in 1988 that brings together around 70% of the region's exporting producers in its membership, the region has 40 mango exporters, but only ten use packing houses with facilities for processing hydrothermal in the municipalities of Petrolina (PE), Juazeiro and Casa Nova (BA). “At the peak of the harvest, there are 11 American inspectors monitoring the entire process. The rules are very similar for the United States, Japan, Argentina and Chile, however, we have some technical distinctions regarding the use of sensors when carrying out hydrothermal heat, as well as for some countries it is necessary to monitor the fruit fly” , he declares.

Four direct jobs per hectare

Valexport data indicates that, on average, each property that grows mangoes in the region generates four direct jobs per irrigated hectare through export alone. At the peak of the harvest, in the 6 thousand hectares destined for export, the total number of direct jobs reaches 24 thousand and indirect jobs, approximately 30 thousand.

The United States is the main individual consumer of mangoes from Brazil, with one particularity: “The country is second only to Germany, which is not the final consumer of the fruits sent there, serving as a hub [distribution center] to other European countries”, highlights Tássio Gomes.

“We know that the South African market has a lot of potential, but it is still too early to talk about annual export volume. To date, there are four accredited companies and Abrafrutas is working to increase this number. The first shipment was sent by the company Argofruta”, says Eduardo Brandão.

At the end of 2017, northeastern mangoes reached consumers in South Korea, one of the most demanding markets in the world in terms of health and food quality. Under the bilateral agreement, the Brazilian counterpart is to import fresh pears from the Asian country.

Taking into account the generation and transfer stages between 1987 and 2003, the total investment in technology was estimated by Embrapa at R$2,4 million.