The Brazilian fruit industry has unveiled a new certificate of origin for certain fruits produced in the region of Jaíba, located in the north of the country in Minas Gerais state.
The so-called Jaíba brand serves as a certificate of origin for mainly Silva bananas, Tahiti limes, Palmer mangoes and Formosa papayas, among other fruits.
Developers claim the project is designed to transform the region of Jaíba into a reference for high quality tropical fruit from Brazil by adding value to the region’s fruit supply and boosting social and environmental sustainability in the area.
“It is more than just growing fruits, we are setting the scene for a new future for thousands of people,” explained Jorge de Souza of Abanorte, the organisation driving the initiative.
“Our mission is to enhance the way producers, governments, markets and consumers relate to fruits from Brazil.”
Jaíba has much potential for fruit production given the expanse of controlled irrigation networks already established in the area, combined with favourable local weather conditions and high soil fertility.
Already, there are some 80,000ha of fruit under production in Jaíba.
Those fruits certified by the Jaíba label are grown using the latest agricultural practices available and in respect of local economic, environmental and social issues.
According to Abanorte, the crops are also sprayed with less chemicals compared with other regions due to the nature of the local weather conditions which reduce the incidence of pests and diseases.
Although the fruits produced in Jaíba are distributed globally, their primarily export destination is Europe.
