Evolution of the fruit market in the city of Lavras-Minas Gerais-Brazil
Abstract
Fruit growing has achieved advances through the use of new technologies generated by research. In Brazil, it is one of the most prominent sectors in agribusiness, achieving significant results and generating business opportunities. In this way, the fruit market has grown considerably in the last decades, both in quantity and in quality. Allied to this, the changes in consumer behavior regarding food consumption has been responsible for the increase of the fruit market. The objective of this work was to know the evolution of the fruit trade in the city of Lavras, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in relation to the quantity sold, monetary value, losses in the gondolas of retail establishments and per capita consumption of the population of this city.
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Introduction
Fruticulture is one of the most prominent sectors of Brazilian agribusiness. Through a wide variety of crops, produced all over the country and in different climates, fruit production achieves significant results and generates opportunities for Brazilian agribusiness. Brazil is the third largest producer of fruit in the world, behind only China and India, which shows the sector's relevance to the Brazilian economy, with 38.36 million tons produced in 2013, behind only China, with 137.6 million tons, and India, with 71.07 million tons (AGRONEGÓCIO, 2015).
Brazilian production is focused on tropical, subtropical and temperate fruits, thanks to its territorial extension, geographical position, soil and climatic conditions. According to the IBRAF (2013), fruit growing in Brazil occupied an area of 2.2 million hectares, moved US$5.5 billion and employed 5.6 million people, representing 27% of the agricultural labor force from the country.
In this way the fruit market has grown considerably in the last decades, both in quantity and in quality. This was possible because of advances in research and development in the sector. In four decades, Brazil has passed from importer to exporter of some temperate fruits, such as apple. In the 1970s, the national production of this fruit represented only 10% of domestic consumption. Today, there are over 36,000 hectares producing high-quality apples, enough to serve the domestic market and even export (ANDRADE etal., 2012ab).
In addition to this, changes in consumer behavior regarding food consumption have been responsible for the increase in the fruit market (PIMENTEL; PIMENTEL, 2011).
Faced with this trend, the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, University of São Paulo (Cepea-USP), conducted a survey on fruit consumption in Brazil, where there was an average increase of approximately 4.38 kg per person per year, from 2005 to 2011 (SILVEIRA etal., 2011).
The objective of this work was to know the evolution of the fruit trade in the city of Lavras - MG - Brazil, in relation to the commercial volume, monetary value, percentage of losses in the gondolas and per capita consumption of fruits of the population .
Conclusion
The commercialization of fruit in Lavras has increased simultaneously to the increase of the consumption and the supply of fruits with quality, assiduity and punctuality;
The average price of fruit has also increased, in line with inflation;
Losses in facilities decreased as a result of more efficient distribution logistics;
Technological development has provided better quality fruit during all months of the year, favoring increased consumption, which has also been driven by changing consumer habits.
