Bananas Fava projects growth of 22% with renewed crops

The trajectory of the company Bananas Fava, from Vale do Ribeira, combines agricultural production, logistics, technology and innovation.

The business, which began 30 years ago with Carlos Fava selling bananas on a bicycle, evolved from delivery to grocery stores to direct supply to supermarkets.

Today, the company distributes around 900 tons of bananas per week to 330 points of sale daily, using its own fleet of 50 trucks.

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The operation is concentrated in the state of São Paulo, serving both the capital and interior cities within a radius of up to 400 kilometers.

Technology to reduce losses

As a major retail supplier, one of the company's challenges is combating fruit waste.

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Fava says that he began developing solutions for supermarkets in the 1990s, creating plastic hooks for displaying bananas on shelves. The objective was to reduce excessive handling of fruit by consumers and reduce losses.

More recently, the company invested in automated ripening chambers, controlled by software, which regulate temperature, ventilation and fruit color.

According to the businessman, the system managed to reduce the operation's total losses from levels between 15% and 20% to rates between 2.5% and 3%.

The technology also makes it possible to prolong the conservation of bananas during the logistical process and adapt maturation to market demand.

The system attracted international attention. In 2019, the technology developed by the company came second in an innovation award at the Fruit "Logistica fair, in Berlin, Germany.

"Today, the model is already used in 14 European countries for fruits such as bananas, mangoes and avocados", says Fava.

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Currently the company has 50 cameras and intends to install 20 more in the next two years, a period in which it should also increase production in the field, where it is renewing 40% of the crops, with more productive seedlings, installing irrigation systems and implementing overhead cables to transport the fruits. "With this new project we want to depend less on labor and increase productivity", says Fava.

Agricultural production

With 500 hectares of bananas cultivated in the Vale do Ribeira region, the main fruit producing region in São Paulo, the farm's productivity currently varies between 40 and 45 tons per hectare per year, depending on climatic conditions. Production is expected to grow 22% over the next three years.

In addition to its own production, Banana Fava receives bananas from around 30 producer partners in different regions of the country.

Part of the fruit comes from the north of Minas Gerais and the Northeast to compensate for periods of reduced production caused by the cold in São Paulo.

Banana production in Brazil stands at 6.8 million tons, with emphasis on the states of São Paulo, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and Pernambuco.

According to Fava, regional diversification of supply helps reduce climate risks and ensure continuous supply.

"If a climate problem occurs in one region, we have others to respond", he said.

The company also invests in certifications aimed at traceability and quality. Banana Fava is one of the pioneers in Brazil in adopting Global GAP certifications for both production and distribution. "In addition to conventional production, we are gradually expanding organic cultivation", says Fava, who stands out as the largest banana distributor in Latin America.

Despite already having a structure suitable for export, the company intends to prioritize the domestic market in the coming years.

Source: CNN