tradicionalmenteinovador - Brazil Buyers & Sellers

ing States are the leading producers: Pará, with 4.6 million tons,
Paraná (4.4 million tons) and Bahia (3.6 million tons). The three
states are projected to increase their planted areas, an item at
which the first of them leads with 294 thousand hectares. Pará
and Bahia are expected to harvest more per hectare, a topic
where Paraná stands out. In 2011, nevertheless, the state experiences
a slight reduction, from 23 to 22 tons per hectare, but, at
the same time, the state is announcing an area expansion from
172 thousand to 202 thousand hectares.
The better prices are credited with the area recovery in 2010,
a year when production volumes were smaller, a fact that had
reflections on the production of starch and flour. It is reckoned
that, by virtue of the shortage of raw material, the production
of starch was down 2% to 5% from 2009, when it had peaked
to 583.85 thousand tons. Paraná is a major producer, and accounts
for 71% of the total, and the sector of paper and cardboard
is the biggest consumer (23,8%), according to numbers
from the Brazilian Association
of Cassava and
Starch
Producers
(Abam) and from the
Center for Advanced Studies
on Applied Economics at Luiz de
Queiroz College of Agriculture, linked with
the University of São Paulo (Cepea/Esalq/USP).
Data from the Brazilian Secretariat of Foreign Trade
(Secex), in turn, reveal smaller fresh starch exports, which remained
below 6 thousand tons, while imports of the product
soared to 11 thousand tons. On the other hand, good results
were achieved with foreign sales of modified starch, which
achieved the highest numbers in the decade: 36.7 thousand
tons, bringing in US$ 39.4 million.
Regarding the remuneration and performance of the sector,
direct interference and competition comes from corn starch,
which registered high prices over the period. Researcher Carlos
Estêvão Cardoso, of Embrapa Cassava and Fruit Farming,
in Cruz das Almas (BA), comments that the starch sector has
the capacity to double its production volumes, which does not
occur particularly because of the competition from the same
product made of corn. In Bahia, where he is a member of the
Cassava Productive Chamber of the State, Cardoso celebrates
the decision to join this industrial segment, with the recent inauguration
of a starch factory in Recôncavo Sul (municipality
of Laje), with the capacity to process 200 tons a day, and another
factory now being constructed in the Southwest (Vitória
da Conquista).
>> STRATEGY Embrapa researcher Carlos Estêvão Cardoso
is also a member of the Cassava Sectorial Chamber and
Byproducts at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food
Supply (Mapa), where he insists on two initiatives of interest
to the area. Initially, the so-called Strategic Agenda, which involves
several segments and could improve the availability of
precise and fast information for decision taking, as well as research
and development opportunities of the chain. Another
debate taken as relevant for the sector, particularly in Paraná,
is geared towards the chance of getting a register of phytosanitary
products for roots and tubers and also for cassava. In
general, cassava is valued as energy or food. In the food area,
Cardoso understands, it could join the sector of fine and distinguished
gastronomy, including cheese bread, tapioca and other
confections. He stresses that, in general, starch made from
root can be consumed by celiac sufferers, without any problem.
As for the energetic purpose, he observes that the debates are
just starting, but there is potential, in particular, for fine alcohol.
Among the efforts towards adding more value to the product,
Embrapa created the Cassava Day, which is celebrated
on 18th April. On this special event, held in Cruz das Almas in
2011, cassava was introduced as Brazil’s Root Symbol – the
most relevant symbol in our national agriculture. Researcher
Joselito Mota gave a lecture on the subject, cherishing a dream
in light of the Coming World Soccer Cup in Brazil: “For its social,
economic and cultural importance, this very versatile crop, exotic
and organic could turn into the biggest national symbol in
2014 in the land of soccer”.
>> CONSTÂNCIA . No interruption
Evolução da mandioca no Brasil
Anos
Área colhida
(ha)
Produção
(t)
Rendimento
(t/ha)
1980 2.015.857 23.465.649 11,64
1990 1.937.567 24.322.133 12,55
2000 1.708.875 23.040.670 13,48
2001 1.667.453 22.580.282 13,54
2002 1.678.029 23.148.303 13,79
2003 1.633.568 21.961.082 13,44
2004 1.754.875 23.926.553 13,63
2005 1.901.535 25.872.015 13,61
2006 1.896.509 26.639.013 14,05
2007 1.894.458 26.541.200 14,01
2008 1.888.859 26.703.039 14,14
2009 1.760.578 24.403.981 13,86
Fontes: IBGE/PAM 2009 e Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura
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