Gourmet tomatoes expand presence in supermarkets

Producer Eduardo Trebeschi never forgot winter faced in 2009, in Berlin, when it was a vegetable market in the German capital with the firm purpose to meet a variety of tomato that was already sold in Europe, Australia and United States. The "Intense", developed by Nunhems-vegetable seed unit of Bayer CropScience-had everything to integrate Trebeschi Tomatoes's portfolio, located in Araguari, in the Triângulo Mineiro.
The Trebeschi produces 75 thousand tons of different commercial varieties of traditional groups framed long life-table tomatoes, genetically enhanced to achieve greater durability, but invariably bland-tasting and "gourmet", fruits that fell in consumer satisfaction by unite acidity and sweetness, balance required for the vegetable does not become insipid or too acidic.
Embrapa Greenery maintains that this thread was strengthened in the last ten years. Although there is no formal estimates, it is estimated that responds for 20% of the national production of table tomatoes-composed basically by long lives (Deborah and Carmen are the most well-known hybrid)-estimated at 2.2 million tons per year. The Brazil still produces about 1.3 million tons of industrial tomatoes, used in the manufacture of sauces. In all, the market moves about r $ 4.2 billion per year in the country.
It is difficult to quantify the varieties of tomatoes. Dutch types, cherry, sweet grape and PEAR-whose seeds are sold by multinationals such as Syngenta (offers three varieties) and Bayer, with four varieties-are the best known.
Even without having the exact dimension of this trade, had no doubts Trebeschi accept Nunhems's proposal to develop the market of Intense fullness and variety category "gourmet tomatoes" of his company, whose production reaches 5 000 tonnes per year. "It is little compared to conventional trade, but you can't ignore a trend," he says.
Six years ago, invests in this area-Tomatoes Trebeschi producer does not reveal values-in order to capture the consumer. Your last bet is a variety that has the appeal of being lean, with about 70% less water-which decreases the mess to be sliced, more pulp and greater sugar content (Brix level 7).
The balance between acidity and sugar is strong point of sweet grape, grape-shaped tomato released two years ago
According to the producer, the fruit of elongated shape (similar to an Italian tomato) and intense red coloration is ideal for sandwiches and salads, and meets the demand of foodservice (food away from home).
But Trebeschi acknowledges the difficulties of deploying growing on the property. They had to work hard to adapt planting conditions of climate and soil of Brazil. "It is necessary to perfect at the dosage of calcium because the fruit has little water," explains. The cultivation is done under glass and the goal is to reach 7.5 kg per plant 12 thousand in total-are. For now, are achieved 4.5 kg per plant, and every 90 days a greenhouse is being harvested. The packaging of 500 g ($ 4.50 each) are forwarded to the main consuming centers of the country.
The producer reports that deal with the "gourmet" varieties, diminutive size and almost always more sweet, requires constant surveillance of the horticulturist to a delicate cultivation that requires a balanced dose of nutrients to ward off pests during development and ripening of the fruit. That is why the Sakata, Japanese company installed in Brazil for 18 years and considered one of the leaders in the segment of seeds, was with a group of 80 early producers were 250-for cultivation of sweet grape, small and elongated format made a grape, released a little over two years.
"We have reduced the number of farmers to organize the market. The product developed to be special was being mixed with other types of tomatoes indiscriminately, "said the technical coordinator of new multinational business, Márcio Jampani. According to him, the fruit can be eaten in salads or as an aperitif on account of its sweetness (Brix degree 6, at least).
The farmer Ricardo Gonçalves Brito was one of those who remained in the Group remade by the company, which estimates a production of 89 thousand tons for the market this year. The cultivation of sweet grape was the first experience of Basil with tomatoes gourmets-there are 12 years he deals with conventional-type plantings and the producer acknowledges the delicacy of cultivation. "It's almost like taking care of a baby," compares.
The producer informs that invested r $ 600 thousand in total to install four greenhouses on the property of St. Michael the Archangel, 180 kilometers from Sao Paulo. In them he keeps 12 thousand feet and produce 8 kg per plant. The handling is done by a team of ten people, responsible for the cost of producing expensive (around $ 2.80 per pound), which monitors the drip irrigation, pest control, among others, care for that in a 90-day cycle are harvested in a greenhouse cherry tomatoes of 12 grams each. The packaging of 180 grams ($ 4) are forwarded to the São Paulo supermarkets.
In the analysis of the agronomist Paulo César Tavares de Melo, the Esalq (USP), one of the largest tomato Brazilian specialists, the gourmet varieties are considered specialty products worldwide. "It is a segmented market like so many others," he says. For the teacher, the consumer has a chance to redeem the taste of vegetables, harmed genetic improvement programs which prioritized the disease resistance and durability (ten to 15 days of shelf) which allows the transport over long distances. "If it was harvested more ripe, wouldn't be so bad. But this does not happen and the more traditional table tomato looks like a styrofoam ", he says.