PUPUNHA REPORT ( Bactris gasipaes )

The peach palm is native to the Amazon and Central America, being a palm tree with a tropical climate that adapts to most Brazilian regions, requiring a lot of heat, light and humidity. The fruits of the peach palm tree (the peach palm) are organized in bunches, normally producing 10 bunches per peach palm tree, per year, and approximately 100 fruits in each bunch. These fruits need to be cooked in water before consumption due to the presence of oxalate, antinutritional factors and the enzyme peroxidase. Peach palm is a fruit with important nutritional value, as it has a relevant content of oils and proteins, high carbohydrate content and insoluble dietary fiber (SOARES, 2022; RESENDE et al., 2009).

PRODUCT

Fruit – food industry, the main form of consumption of peach palm is the fruit in natura (cooked), however, other forms of consumption are also present in culinary preparations, such as purees, jellies, risottos and flours (SOARES, 2022).

Heart of palm - food industry, consumed in natura and canned (RESENDE et al., 2009).

BY-PRODUCT

Peach palm oil – Peach palm oil – practically only for regional consumption, without much industrial exploitation. It contains a greater amount of unsaturated fatty acids than palm oil. Peach palm pulp oil contains more than 55.24% fatty acids, with emphasis on monounsaturated acids (represented by oleic acid, with 48.65%) and polyunsaturated acids (mainly linoleic acid, with 6.59%), while palm oil has only 49.84% fatty acids, monounsaturated with 38.93% and polyunsaturated with 10.91% (COSTA et al, 2022 in VERONEZI et al, 2022; GRIMALDI, 2018).

Wood - hard and weather resistant, it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, tool handles, flooring, handicrafts, production of pulp for paper and cellophane (TRACZ, 2005; CASTRO, 2015).

CURRENT MARKET SIZE

In 2017, the Brazilian Agricultural Census found that the quantity of peach palm produced in Brazil was 8,873 t with a value of BRL 27.7 million (≅ USD 8.2 million). The Amazon states contributed 60.7% of this production, mainly coming from the states of Amazonas (2,058 t) and Pará (2,053 t) (IBGE, 2017).

The largest peach palm producing states in Brazil are: Bahia, Amazonas, Pará, São Paulo, Rondônia, Amapá, Roraima, Mato Grosso; the states with an incipient production are: Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Acre, Rio de Janeiro, Distrito Federal and Pernambuco (IBGE, 2017).

PROJECTED FUTURE MARKET SIZE

In the State of Pará alone, peach palm production/trade has been growing 4.2% per year since 2006, with the gross value of rural peach palm production reaching R$4.4 million in 2019. Result of an average increase of 4. 7% per year over the same period (TNC, 2021).

Brazil generates approximately US$350 million annually from palm hearts, and it is estimated that the world market amounts to US$500 million, still with considerable growth potential. In addition to being considered the largest producer and consumer of palm hearts, the country is the world’s largest exporter of the commodity, accounting for approximately 95% of all palm hearts consumed in the world. Of these, 90% are of extractive origin from açaí (Euterpes oleracea Mart.), native to the Amazon Forest, and from juçara (Euterpes edulis Mart.), native to the Atlantic Forest. Despite the economic index of the product being quite significant, the extraction of these species has contributed to endangering them, especially the juçara palm, which dies after the palm heart is harvested. Therefore, the rational use of other native palm trees to produce palm hearts, such as peach palms that do not die after its harvest, has been promoted as a strategy to reduce the pressure of exploration on Euterpe edulis Mart. (juçara) and Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açaí) (SPACKI et al., 2022).

VOLUMES SOLD/CONSUMED

The 2017 Agricultural Census estimates total pupunha fruit production at 8,873 tons, of which 5,386 was produced in the Amazon region (IBGE, 2017).

PRICE TREND

In Brazil, peach palm is commonly sold per bunch of fruit, ranging from BRL 20.00 to 40.00 (≅ USD 3.78 to 7.57), depending on the size of the bunch. The fruit is also sold in kilograms, ranging from BRL 10.00 to 29.90 per kilogram (≅ USD 1.89 to 5.66).

Fresh peach palm hearts can be found for around BRL 39.90 per kilo (≅ USD 7.54).

Already preserved, a kilo of peach palm can vary from BRL 44.38 to 79.66 (≅ USD 8.40 to 15.08).

HISTORY

Pupunha originates in the southwest of the Amazon region, in the Ucayali River basin , in southeastern Peru and in the upper Madeira River basin. It was disseminated throughout Brazil by indigenous people , who had knowledge in handling this plant. It is considered a fast -growing palm tree and differs from the others due to its high level of productivity, abundant new shoots, good palatability and the fact that the heart of palm does not oxidize when exposed to air.

The geographic distribution of pupunha reveals the trade migration routes of pre -Columbian times , be it the North Pacific regions of South America ( Ecuador and Colombia), the Caribbean (Colombia and Venezuela), the Upper Amazon region (Bolivia , Brazil and Peru) and Central America ( Panama , Costa Rica and Nicarágua ) (Portalvidalivre, 2022).

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENT: AGROFOREST, WILD HARVESTING, PLANTING

The area planted with peach palm trees for the production of heart of palm in the national territory is 26,000 hectares with most of the planted area in states in the Northeast and Southeast of Brazil.

< https://ciorganicos.com.br/biblioteca/pupunha-e-opcao-de-renda-para-agricultura-familiar/ >

In the Amazon region, the pupunha is almost exclusively a source of fruit. Pupunha fruit is collected  primarily from house gardens, managed agroforests and in secondary vegetation. Production is sufficient to meet local demand with any surplus sold to intermediaries for sale in urban markets (Embrapa, 2023).

MATURITY TIME

Each plant produces multiple stems forming a clump or tussock. The stem may or may not contain thorns depending on the variety. The fruits are ovoid , 3 to 5 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide, red or yellow when ripe. Fruit production begins in the 3-4th year and continues for the productive life of the palm (at least 10 years). Peach palms can produce up to 8 bunches per year, each with about 100 fruits depending on their size (Colecionandofrutas, 2023; Portalvidalivre, 2022).

PRODUCER PROFILE AND SOCIAL IMPACTS

The profile of pupunha producers in general is of small scale family farmers who maintain pupunha palms in house gardens and surrounding secondary vegetation. Fruits are primarily consumed by the family with excess sold to intermediaries or directly in local markets. Pupunha can be an important source of food security and income from the sale of pupunha fruit contributes to family income for cash purchases (TAVAREs, R. K., 2019). 

PRODUCTION PROBLEMS

The peach palm is vulnerable to several diseases, which can be fungi from the nursery stage to the adult planting stage, among the pathogens that occur in the peach palm, there are the fungi Colletotrichum gloesporioides , Bipolaris bicolor, Curvularia eragrostides , Pestalotiopsis sp., Dreschlera incurvata , Phomopsis sp. And Alternaria sp. that cause leaf spots mainly in plants with water stress or nutritional deficiency.

Another difficulty is obtaining pupunha seeds that breed true, especially with regard to stems without thorns, as there is no guarantee that seeds extracted from palm trees without thorns will generate smooth peach trees. Due to this factor, many producers are unable to expand their plantings, since it is unfeasible to work with plants that will require greater care in handling, with loss of productivity (TAVARES, 2019).

SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS

The lack of machinery to automate production and harvesting are major problems, since basically all steps from planting to processing are done manually (RIOS et al. 2019).

Other problems identified in the supply chain: Location of raw materials and transport; Difficulties in registering with the Ministry of Agriculture; Low production scale and high costs (BERGO, 2005).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROCESSING AND SIZING

Strengthening of rural development policies: Science, Technology and Innovation (CT&I), credit and technical assistance aimed at the demands of traditional communities, indigenous peoples and family farming based on Agroforestry Systems;

Development of a continuous database system, so that the generation of employment and income in the local economy are quantified for the purposes of adequate targeting of public policies;

Prioritize plans for land regularization and territorial organization, through the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples, quilombolas and traditional communities (TNC, 2021).

CREDIT POTENTIAL/CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Until 2012, peach palm monocultures in the Brazilian Amazon accumulated biomass stocks of 80 t ha−1, less than the biomass of the secondary forests replaced (127.5 t ha−1). Peach palm accumulated carbon much faster (5.1 t C ha−1 year−1), however, than in successional vegetation (4 t ha−1 year−1), mainly due to high plant densities in monocultures (625 trees ha−1) and also fertilizer inputs. The peach palm plantations have to be regenerated after approximately 10 years, which would be equivalent to a time-averaged carbon stock of about 25 t C ha−1. Peach palm agroforests also show significant potential to serve as carbon sinks. Carbon accumulation varied between 2.9 and 3.8 t C ha−1 year−1 in multi-strata systems of the Brazilian Amazon (GRAEFE et al., 2012). The number of 27 to 61 tC/ha (mean 47) for peach palms in Brazil was also recorded (MITEVA et al., 2014).

CERTIFICATIONS PROGRAMS

RELEVANT SECTORS

IMPORT/EXPORT AND COMPLIANCE RATES

No information found

BIOCULTURAL PROTECTIONS OF COMMUNITIES OF ORIGIN (NAGOYA/CGEN/ETC. PROTOCOL)

Brazilian adherence to the Nagoya Protocol, Legislative Decree No. 136 of 08/11/2020, ratified by the national executive in March 2021, can leverage the peach palm heart of palm production chain due to the use and exploitation of the genetic heritage by other countries .

REGULATORY INFORMATION

Harmonized System Code: 2008.91.00 – heart of palm

PS.: For all conversions from Brazilian real (BRL) to US dollar (USD), an average of the values for each year was made (example: sum of the monthly averages for the year 2021, divided by 12. The result was taken with the value dollar average in 2021).

Table with monthly averages:
Year 2009:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 2,11 (annual average).

Year 2017:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 3,35 (annual average).

Year 2018:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 4,02 (annual average).

Year 2019:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 4,16 (annual average).

Year 2020:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 5,44 (annual average).

Year 2021:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 5,90 (annual average).

Year 2022:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 5,30 (annual average).

Year 2023:  USD 1 ≅ BRL 5,18 (annual average).

Year 2024 (until April):  USD 1 ≅ BRL 5,28 (annual average).