FRUTICULTURE AS AN INSTRUMENT TO INCOME GENERATION FOR FAMILY FARMING AND RURAL SETTLEMENTS AREAS

Abstract

This project had beginning in 2002 with the approval of FAPESP for a project in public politics involving several public-private institutions in the district of Bauru - SP, with the purpose to foment and transfer technology in the production of fruits for small rural producers. The culture of the yellow passion fruit was chosen as the initial object of the work in function of the necessity of intense cultural handling in the phases of planting, flowering and harvest. Initially, field researches indicated the selection Afruvec as the best genetic material for planting. Being known the dissemination of the passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV), main disease of the passion fruit, a greenhouse was built with an anti-aphid screen for seedlings production in tubes. In order to promote technology transfer, it was accomplished field days, meetings and several technical lectures. During the development of the plants in 2003, the producers decided to create BauruFrutas (Association of Fruit Producers in Bauru and Area), with the purpose of assist the commercialization process and try to obtain a better profitability in the activity. Later, the trademark of the Association was elaborated and with the resources of the 2nd phase of the FAPESP project, it was acquired a complete line of equipments for pulp processing generating the sustainability of the production. In 2005, in order to give continuity to the works, Cap supported the extension of the project, promoting the value aggregation, so it was acquired equipments for production of the passion fruit peel flour used for cholesterol reduction and diabetes in human feeding, and pulp sacks (100 grams) with bar code. With the intention to aware the producers for the serious problem of the PWV, it was accomplished in October of 2005 a seminar about this subject, resulted in the publication of a book with the lecturers and the FUNEP (Fundação de Ensino e Pesquisa) - Jaboticabal support. The Association acquired the use of an inactive tent in the Departamento de Estradas e Rodagem (DER) that was used as warehouse for classification and storage of the fruits. BauruFrutas after four years of existence conquered a space in the retail market in Bauru and it consolidates as the largest wholesaler of passion fruit of the area, producing and marketing in the crop 2006/2007, about of 280 tons of yellow passion fruit, destined for in natura consumption and industrialization