UPL helps Brazilian potato producer to get GlobalGAP certification

UPL has provided all support to Rocheto Group, Brazil's largest pre-fried potato processor (through the company Bem Brasil), in the process of achieving the international certification Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP).

 

Rocheto Group, based in Minas Gerais, becomes the third fruit and vegetable (FLV) company in Brazil to get GlobalGAP certification with UPL´s assistance.

 

UPL’s helped Rocheto to analyse in details all links of the potato chain – from the farm to the consumer – to reach the goal. UPL’s Pronutiva program, a package of solutions that combines crop protection and biosolution technologies for the promotion of plant health, was essential to the success of the business plan.

 

The process has lasted 18 months. "We´ve achieved our goal very fast, because we had UPL as a close partner. This partnership was fundamental to achieve the GlobalGAP certification. By ourselves, we probably would not have gotten it, at least not so quickly", says Rocheto’s President, João Emilio. The group is responsible for supplying approximately 35% of the Brazilian frozen pre-fried potatoes market.

 

João Mancine, UPL’s marketing manager, says the conclusion of certification process is a cause for celebration. "It is really amazing to participate and to help Rocheto from the beginning to the GlobalGAP certification, contributing to the progress of Brazilian potato business. Rocheto Group is one of the most important players in FLV chain in Brazil".

 

Rocheto shares that one of the main items of achieving international certification was the 10% reduction in pesticides. In the other side, biological inputs of Pronutiva turn to 100% in the field. His goal is to reduce agrochemicals on farms by up to 25% in order to increase safety for food chain, which potatoes reaching consumers with top quality and reliability," says João Emilio.

 

GlobalGAP certification gives credibility to the Bem Brasil brand. "Certification requires adjustments. With them, we’ll have operational and economic gains and efficiency in production chain", says Rocheto.

 

Pronutiva Program - The goal of Pronutiva program is to provide plant health, taking care of the entire crop cycle in an integrated way – from seed treatment to the consumers. This compromise requires synergy between crop protection and modern technologies that stimulate and strengthen plants.

 

Biosolutions involve offering sustainable products with environment respect in order to provide high productivity with a focus on safety and quality. "This process results is healthy plants that produce better food, with higher profit for producers and health for consumers. The main concept is health plant", emphasizes João Mancine.

 

Rocheto Group is the 3rd Brazilian fruit and vegetable company to get GlobalGAP certification with UPL assistance.  Hasegawa Group, one of Brazil's largest vegetable producers (2017), and Trebeschi, one of the country's leading tomato producers (2018), have joined the select team!