A responsible project of limes | Bahia, Brazil

Torres Tropical started a project in 2018 in order to set up an ‘Eco-friendly’ agricultural production farm of a responsible produce of limes in Pojuca, Bahia, Brazil.
In contrary to most conventional lime farms, the use of chemicals and post-harvest ingredients are avoided. When used, they are being professionally applied. With other words, the production is managed with a professional team with a strong background on a responsible production.
The non-usage of the post-harvest treatment allows us to introduce these limes as ‘untreated’. Because the limes do not undergo the harvesting treatments, it means that the skin is edible and free from the wax used usually on conventional citrus fruits.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE

To grow, the plants need a constant average temperature around 21-25 degree Celsius. This makes Pojuca an ideal climate with an average temperature of 24 degree.The territory of the municipality possesses a great concentration of natural gas and is surrounded by different rivers from which the fertility of its land comes, including the Pojuca river.

PROTECTED FOREST

The remaining space of th e area remains protected forest, with a biodiversity that is home to several species of wildlife including alligators (Açú), snakes (Boa, Sucuris, Jaraca, Coral, Jaracuçú), foxes, armadillo’s, deers, Guará wolves, lizards (Teiú and Calango), kameleons, Paca rodents, whiskey jaguars, giant anteaters, and several birds (Parrot, Jacu, Sabiá, Parakeet, Canary, Cardinal, Partridge). A (Onça) jaguar has been spotted in the neighborhood a couple of months ago but hasn’t been seen at the farm luckily.

Pojuca is a city belonging to the North East region of Brazil. One of the poorest regions in Brazil with an unemployment rate of 17,3%.

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF POJUCA

This project of limes will provide employment opportunities in course of time and also provide stable employment to the locals. At the moment 12 jobs have been created at the farm already. This will be around 50 in total when all hectares are fully planted.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

In recent months, a great deal of work has been done to establish an organized infrastructure to improve cultivation as well as the working conditions. New machines have been purchased. New sheds and facilities are being built step-by-step. This construction project will also include the use of pesticides, the cleaning and packaging of our products, canteen, toilets, changing rooms, etc.
With the support of our team we work towards an organized structure in order to obtain the Global Gap and Fair Trade Certifications for which we will be audited in the first half of 2021.

2021

Due to the La Niña phenomenon, it currently rains a lot in Brazil. This is very welcoming as the summer period from October to March is usually a dry period. In 2021 we hope to achieve larger harvests when the trees are stronger and healthier. This nice project gives us the opportunity to provide employment in one of the poorest regions of Brazil and at the same time produce a sustainable food chain process that respects its natural environment and provides a healthy product – the untreated lime!

Torres Tropical / Jan Stap B.V. | info@torrestropical.com

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Paco the parrot, representing our Belleza limes!