The potential of Brazilian papayas

"Nothing in life is down to pure chance, including health and beauty. Do you know how young Brazilian women stay pretty and healthy? With one of the best foods produced in Brazil: Brazilian papayas," affirms the narrator of the welcome video on the website brazilianpapaya.com.

This site, created in 2013 by the Brazilian government, has the mission of spreading the qualities of this tropical fruit through tips on health and beauty, original recipes and even a guide that teaches how to peel and eat papayas. 

How famous is this tropical fruit? Google gives us an answer. By using the search word "papaya" 10.2 million results were obtained; by doing the same with "pineapple", 80.3 million results were obtained, and the term "mango" reached 221 million results.

"How do we increase consumption? By spreading information and teaching consumers, especially in the United States, about the qualities of papayas, which are still rather unknown," states Fred Vieira Tavares, of UGBP (Union of Growers of Brazilian Papaya). 

This company exports Golden papayas to Europe, Canada and the United States, while the Formosa variety is only shipped to the European continent, as Brazil does not have plantations for this variety with the certification needed to enter the U.S. 

UGBP set up its plantations of the Formosa variety in the north-east of the country, in Baraúna, Rio Grande do Norte. This allows them to produce all year round at good levels, unlike producers in the south, whose production currently slows down due to the low winter temperatures.

"We've gone from producing small volumes of Formosa papayas in the south of Brazil to doing it in the north with much higher volumes. The quality is extremely good, as well as the potential," affirms Fred. 

Brazil's papaya production has increased by 6% over the past decade and in 2013 exports rose by 9% compared to 2012. This would appear to indicate that the promotional efforts are beginning to yield some results.

"It's a job that will take time, mostly in countries where papayas are not traditionally consumed. Mangoes are the example to follow, which have earned a place in the diet of consumers through great promotional work."

Papayas have a long way to go before becoming a regular part of the diet of North Americans and Europeans, but the fruit's many qualities and the efforts of the government and of companies such as UGBP ​​in their promotion provide them with great potential.