The acerola tree (Malpighia spp.) originally comes from the Caribbean islands and the north of South America and has found the best growing conditions in the north-east of Brazil (more precisely in the valley of the São Francisco River).
Niagro has been a pioneer in acerola cultivation and production since 1990, establishing a sustainable system with local smallholders from the outset. By working closely with these farmers (now more than 400!), Niagro has consolidated its leadership position in terms of quantity, quality and sustainability.
Acerola fruits are very rich in vitamin C. The fruits are picked by hand all year round, with the main season running from October to May. Due to a mild winter, fruits are also harvested in the off-season.
The acerola tree is considered "everbearing" and produces fruit at all stages of ripeness, which creates logistical challenges for farmers as they need workers in the fields every day.
The fruits are harvested at two stages of ripeness (green and red). In both stages, the vitamin C content is higher in comparison
The vitamin C content of red acerola is very high compared to other fruits that are also rich in this nutrient. To be more precise, a red acerola contains 30-40 times more vitamin C than an orange. A green acerola has up to 65 times more vitamin C than an orange.
In recent harvests, there have generally been challenges for acerola growers. Due to some uncontrollable factors, the quantity harvested in the last two harvests (2021-2022 and 2022-2023) was far below expectations. The last harvest recorded a decrease of about 40% compared to the projected targets. The main causes were the ongoing La Niña weather phenomenon in combination with unsustainable financial burdens in agriculture for farmers (especially due to the increase in the price of agricultural inputs in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine). In addition, farmers are facing the challenge of a labor shortage, which is affecting their ability to harvest the entire volume produced by the trees.
Current harvest 2023/2024
The harvest period from October 2023 to May 2024 has come to an end with temperatures dropping and the acerola trees have stopped producing in the way they did during the seasonal peaks. With the relief of the weather in this harvest, Niagro achieved good yields aligned with its targets and was able to replenish its stocks for off-season deliveries.
Taking a closer look at the impact of weather on acerola, it is important to understand how El Niño and La Niña affect production in the Petrolina region:
El Niño
Severe droughts and high temperatures are expected in north-eastern Brazil due to water shortages. This poses a particular challenge if this system lasts longer than five years, as there is then a risk of water shortages in the reservoirs for irrigation. When irrigation water is available, the first years of an El Niño tend to be good harvest years.
La Niña
The opposite of El Niño is expected with intense rain and lower temperatures. This has a negative impact on acerola production as the soil is largely impermeable, leading to long periods of flooding at the tree roots, which can cause blossom shedding and thus production losses.
During this coming season from June 2024, the farmers will mainly be busy pruning the trees, preparing the nutrient supply and soil conditions for the next season.
According to NOAA, a transition to neutrality is imminent, with La Niña expected in the second half of 2024 (49% probability from June to August or 69% from July to September).
With the prospect of La Niña for the coming season, production challenges from this system could arise again, with negative impacts expected depending on the severity of the system (a mild La Niña could have less of an impact on production).
Senior Key Account Manager Global Partner
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