Brazil: Harvest of Pitaya in Santa Catarina is expected to increase by 30%

The harvest of pitaia in the state runs from January to May (Photo: Márcia Costa, Epagri / disclosure) With about 200 hectares and in full expansion, the planting and harvesting of pitaia in Santa Catarina should have an increase of 30% regarding the previous year, which keeps the state as the second largest fruit producer in Brazil. According to Epagri agronomist Ricardo Martins, 600 tonnes were harvested in the last harvest in the south of the state, where the production of Santa Catarina is concentrated. - The growth of the culture in the region is expected due to the transformation of the orchards that until then were young into adults and the capacity to expand the cooperatives - he explains. - Due to its nutraceutical properties, it has been falling in the consumer's taste, and the demand is increasing - explains Diego Adílio da Silva, fruit coordinator at Epagri in the South region. The accelerated growth concerns the flow of the fruit and the operational capacity ...