São Paulo – A cooperative in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is growing and increasing its exports through organic production. The Vale do Caí Ecological Citrus Farmers Cooperative (Ecocitrus), based in the city of Montenegro, grows tangerines, oranges and grapes organically and processes them into juices and essential oils, some of which it ships abroad. The cooperative has sold to Dubai in the past.
This year, Ecocitrus should produce 2.1 million kilograms of fruit and the estimate for next year is 2.5 million kilos, according to the cooperative’s commercial manager Alceu Henz. The farming is carried out by associates in seven different municipalities of the Vale do Caí area. The processing takes place at the cooperative’s unit in Montenegro, which is the most important city in the region, where most of the farmers are located.
Ecocitrus grows green and ripe tangerines; tangerine, orange and grape juices; and essential oils extracted from the citrus fruit’s peel. The oil may be used in manufacturing perfume, or as an aroma for beverages and foods. The cooperative also does composting. It receives residues which it processes into organic fertilizer used on associates’ crops. Composting is a technique for decomposing organic material.
The cooperative exports juices and essential oil. The oil is shipped to France, where it is used in perfume manufacturing, according to Henz. The European country buys 95% of the product; the remaining 5% stay in the domestic market and are occasionally sold to other countries. The juice has been shipped to Italy, Germany, Canada, United States and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The sale to Dubai took place a year ago. The domestic market accounts for 40% of juice production. The foreign market absorbs 40% of the cooperative’s juice production.
Ecocitrus’ strategy to grow internationally consists of attending Biofach, an organic fair held on an annual basis in Germany. The cooperative participates every year. “And every year the tendency is further growth,” says the commercial manager of the results from going to Biofach. He says a market that is opening up a lot for Ecocitrus at this time is the United States, to which the cooperative sold after contacts made at the Biofach.
Ecocitrus was created in 1994. It was the brainchild of a group of farmers associated with Harmonicitrus, who decided to turn to organic farming. Presently, the cooperative has 104 associates, including collaborators and farmers. Domestically, Ecocitrus’ output goes mostly to schools. The cooperative is small-sized.
Contact
Ecocitrus
Telephone: +55 51 3632-4824
Website: www.ecocitrus.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
