According to Rosângela Caliman, one of the company directors, at the moment the main concern is to consolidate Brazilian papaya on the foreign market. "In the near future, we want the fruit no longer to be considered an exotic fruit, becoming a fruit consumed regularly, as has occurred with mangos and pineapple," she explained.

Today, around one third of the 15,000 tons of papaya picked a month at the farm, which generates 423 direct jobs, are exported to the United States, Canada and European countries like England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

"The Caliman target is to increase the volume exported to the European and North American market, increasing the market share of papaya in these countries. For the time being, Caliman is not after new markets, but there are plans for that in future," explained Rosângela.

To reach the objective of expansion, Caliman invests approximately 500,000 Brazilian reais (US$ 250,000) a year in agreements with research institutes to promote genetic improvement and develop new technologies for industry.

"Any research involving genetic improvement takes on average five years. That was the time necessary for development of the Calimosa hybrid," explained Rosângela.

Calimosa papaya is the result of 84 crossings and investment of 2 million reais (US$ 1 million). The fruit of the crossings between Formosa and Golden papaya was developed in partnership between Caliman and the University of North Rio de Janeiro (Uenf).

Recently forwarded to producers in Espí­rito Santo, the Calimosa has middle-sized fruit, i.e., larger than the Golden and smaller than the Formosa variety, and has great productivity. "It weighs on average one kilogram (about 2 lbs) and the skin is dark green. The pulp is very orange and may be as much as 26% sweeter than the Formosa," explained Rosângela.

Also produced for export, the Calimosa should not compete with the Golden, the export leader, as they are different varieties, with different sizes and flavours. It will initially be exported at small volumes, being tested on the foreign market.

The Caliman offices are on Santa Terezinha farm, in the city of Linhares, in the state of Espí­rito Santo. The farm includes the crops, germplasm bank made up of 52 different genetic materials and the company's administrative sector.

In the city of Natal, capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, the company runs Caliman Agrí­cola RN and the fruit-processing unit. The location is strategic due to logistics – due to a port in Natal – for better serving the foreign market.

Brazil is the main global producer of papaya and the third largest exporter, losing only to Mexico and Malaysia, according to figures supplied by the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf). The fruit is cultivated in all Brazilian regions and the main producer states are Bahia and Espí­rito Santo.

Service

Caliman
Telephone: (+55 27) 2103-1500
Site: www.caliman.com.br

Anba – www.anba.com.br

The secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture’s department of Agricultural Protection, Gabriel Alves Maciel, will participate in the ceremony, together with governor Paulo Souto and other Bahian government officials.

The ceremony will also mark the inauguration of the Northeast’s first officially certified fruit packing house.

Brazil is the world’s largest papaya producer, with 1.6 million tons, annually, followed by Mexico (950 thousand) and Nigeria (750 thousand).

Bahia, which accounts for 55% of the Brazilian total, received a license last December to sell the fruit to the US market.

ABr

The liberation for exports from the two regions was negotiated for three years by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply together with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Up to now only the state of Espí­rito Santo, in the southeast, was allowed to sell the product. The license was made possible because the United States Department of Agriculture accepted the Systems Approach for the fruit fly adopted in the areas of the papaya fruit trees in the extreme south of Bahia and Rio Grande do Norte.

The producers may start exporting after 30 days as of the USDA announcement, made on December 8. The agricultural and livestock federal inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture will go through training to act in the packing houses to adapt to the procedures of papaya exports to the United States.

The state of Espí­rito Santo exports papaya to the United States since 1996. Since then, the state has already exported more than 33,000 tons to the US.

Anba