Brazilian melon grower Agricola Famosa has expanded into Senegal with the creation of Agricola Famosa Senegal on 11 April.

The new company will grow yellow and piel de sapo melons as well as watermelon on 150ha, which are rented on a 99-year term from the Senegalese state.

Agricola Famosa’s Carlo Porro has been working on the project for two years. “The idea is that we will start to harvest in February 2012 and grow up to the end of May,” he said. “We want to be able to produce melons when the Brazilian season finishes and go through the Central American window to meet the start of the Spanish season.”

Porro expects that in the next four to five years Famosa’s Senegalese operation will emulate the 6,000ha that its Brazilian parent company has planted with melons. “We will be doing trials of European cantaloupe next season from Senegal too,” he added.

Marketing of the African production will be through Famosa’s usual channels to the UK supermarkets - the main market for the Brazilian company’s fruit.

The project was first mooted when a Senegalese delegation visited Famosa at its HQ in the Brazilian state of Ceara.

Soil types are very similar in the two production regions and Porro believes that cooler nights in Senegal mean that its climate is even better than that of Ceara for melon growing.

The first season will see 15 Senegalese employees travel to Brazil to witness first-hand the full production cycle before returning to Senegal with their Brazilian counterparts for the African campaign. “When the Senegalese season starts we will send tractors, pumps and other equipment as well as the people to Senegal,” said Porro. This transfer of equipment and know-how is intended to make the project viable and meet Agricola Famosa’s aims to advance Brazilians and Senegalese and develop both communities economically and socially.

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