Brazil's five banana varieties

Fava.

The Fava group is Brazil's largest distributor of bananas at domestic level. With 43 ripening rooms and a volume of 950 tonnes per week, it supplies the largest supermarket chains in the country. "We have bananas all year round, because Brazil is a very large tropical country and bananas are grown in nearly every state," affirms Sandro Cypriani, of Fava.


"The Brazilian domestic banana market is very strong," he continues. "Some issues, such as the high cost of labour in comparison with other countries of Central America and Asia, currently hamper the possibility of exporting, despite how strong the dollar is against the real. Maybe in a few years we could consider exporting, but for now, we must focus on supplying a quality product in the domestic market." The distributor is now working to obtain a GlobalGAP certification.

Fava currently cultivates five banana varieties:
• Cavendish bananas; the most popular in the world; sweet and aromatic.
• Prata (silver) bananas; straight-shaped, up to 18 centimetres long, with a greenish-yellow peel and slightly less sweet than the Cavendish.
• Gold bananas; the smallest of all, of around 8 centimetres, cylindrical and gold-coloured.
• BananaLand, the world's largest; it can be up to 30 centimetres long and weigh 500 grams. It has a dark yellow peel with black dots when ripe and it is ideal for cooking because of its high starch content.
• Apple bananas; up to 15 centimetres long, slightly curved shape and with a bright yellow peel; very tasty and recommended for purees.

The Fava group has been present in Brazil since 1970 and has become popular because of the innovative ideas of its owner, Carlos Fava, such as the display systems created in the 80's which have evolved over the decades. "This year, we have developed a new display to increase sales and reduce losses."

Despite some adversities, such as El Niño, which has devastated crops in some states, and the country's political scene, which has led to the bankruptcy of many companies in various sectors, the Fava group has come out victorious. "We believe that 2016 will be the year for those who want to invest in excellence," he concludes.

More information:
Sandro Cypriani
Grupo Fava BananasRua dos Fava, 300 Caxambu - Jundiaí, SP - Brazil
T: (11) 4584 0832
E: sandro.cypriani@grupofava.com
www.grupofava.com

Publication date: 2/15/2016
Author: Kelly den Herder
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com