Utam will double production of coffee capsules in 2020

The Utam Group is betting on the growing consumption of capsule coffee to double production in 2020. With a total investment of R$ 5 million, completed this month, the company of Ribeirão Preto (SP) estimates to put in the market 6 million units next year. In 2018, the capsules accounted for 2% of Utam's revenues, advanced to 5% in 2019 and the goal is to reach 10% in 2020. "We use only 10% of our productive capacity, which means we still have a lot of room to grow and there is a market for that," Ana Carolina Soares de Carvalho, the company's director, told the column. Today, the highest demand for capsules comes from domestic consumers, but markets such as the United States and Germany have also sought this type of product from the company. Parallel to capsule betting, Utam is also optimistic for the gourmet coffee segment, the group's main product. Reacts Utam's revenue stemming from all types of coffee should be R$ 80 million in 2019, in line with last year, when grain prices were already pressured by high production in the world. For 2020, the expectation is a reaction in the quotes and that retail follow the high. "We don't see price drop, we expect at least stability," Ms Carolina said. Overwarning Embrapa's acting president since July 17, Celso Moretti has not convinced the summit of the Ministry of Agriculture about his stay in office. As many have already hoped, it should not be effected. However, the government has difficulty finding a name that is willing to move into the structure of the state. Corporatism The restructuring of the state company is being studied by the Falconi Foundation, hired by the government to suggest a new model. The proposals for changes are profound, such as unit merger and reduction of much of the functional framework. Embrapa leaders did not like the measures and work to keep everything as it is. Agreement... The ECB Group announced on Monday that Honeywell will provide the Omega Green project with all renewable diesel production technology and renewable aviation kerosene, as well as hydrogen used in the treatment of oil to turn biofuel. Brazilian businessman Erasmo Carlos Battistella's first advanced biofuel plant will be built from 2020 in Villeta, Paraguay, and will have investments of US$ 800 million. ... Closed According to the ECB Group, Honeywell's technology is approved by the United States military, and this is why Omega Green is applying to provide biofuels to that country's military aircraft. Another factor is that the company's process will "drastically" reduce the electricity consumption of the future plant. Turbocharged BemAgro, a Brazilian startup of precision agriculture based in Ribeirão Preto (SP), announces this week an contribution of Israeli investor Israel Agro Tech (IAT) to solutions based on image processing. Of the resources, 70% go to research and development and 30% for the growth of operations, including expansion to Latin American countries in 2020. The expectation is that the strategy will increase revenues by 150%. Less pressure The cost to produce milk in Brazil has fallen 2% in the last 12 months to October, pulled by cow feeding items, which have become cheaper. Embrapa Leite Cattle, which calculates the Milk Production Cost Index (ICPLeite), estimates that expenditure on the production and purchase of bulky, which are based on the nutritional diet of animals, fell 3.84%. More product Dairy uptake is expected to grow 1% in 2019 compared to 24.45 billion liters in 2018, says Paulo Martins, chief general of Embrapa Gado de Leite. Lower cost encourages the rancher to produce. Towards the East The Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (CbO) bets on a commercial mission to Israel, along with its Mercosur peers, to prospect new business opportunities between Brazilian agricultural producers and Israeli importers. The five-day trip, which begins today, includes technical meetings with local buyers, visits to regional ports and cooperatives and participation for the first time in the International Israfood Food Fair – the largest fair in the country's segment. Packed bags Márcio Lopes de Freitas, president of OCB, considers that the entourage will enable Brazilian exporters to better understand the local market to adapt products to local requirements. "We want cooperatives to take better advantage of the opportunities for the existing free trade agreement between Mercosur and Israel," he says. The focus of the mission lies in the coffee, fruit, dairy and spice sectors, following a previous study on the Israeli market made by the entity. / COLLABORATED ISADORA DUARTE