<\/p>\n
The Goiana Agricultural Defense Agency (Agrodefesa), in partnership with local producers and technical managers, managed to obtain authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) for Mundo Novo to export cucurbits, such as watermelon, melon and pumpkin to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.<\/p>\n
\nThe inclusion was possible because the municipality in Goi\u00e1s was officially included in the Risk Mitigation System (SMR) for the Anastrepha grandis pest, a species of fruit fly that affects cucurbit crops. With this recognition, local producers are able to export fresh fruit to countries that impose quarantine restrictions on this pest.<\/p>\n
\nLocated in the northern region of the State, Mundo Novo is the 18th municipality in Goi\u00e1s to obtain this certification, granted by the MAPA's Agricultural Defense Secretariat and made official by Ordinance No. 1,251\/2025, published in the Official Gazette of the Union (DOU) on February 28, 2025.<\/p>\n
\nSince 2006, due to the interest of producers, cities in different regions of the state have obtained the status, starting with Uruana, Carmo do Rio Verde, Itapuranga and Jaragu\u00e1, important fruit producing centers, mainly watermelon and pumpkin. In addition to these, Rio Verde, Santa Helena, Mauril\u00e2ndia, Cristalina, Ipameri, Goian\u00e9sia, S\u00e3o Miguel do Araguaia, Edealina, Luzi\u00e2nia, Nova Crix\u00e1s, Rubiataba, Porangatu and Jussara also have the recognition.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Government of Goi\u00e1s, through Agrodefesa, plays a fundamental role in supporting farmers, helping them comply with legislation and technical standards to enable the export of fresh cucurbit fruits. Watermelon, melon and pumpkin are of great economic importance to our state,\u201d highlights the president of Agrodefesa, Jos\u00e9 Ricardo Caixeta Ramos.<\/p>\n
\nHe adds that the achievement of this status for yet another municipality in Goi\u00e1s is the result of the efforts of agricultural inspectors and technical managers responsible for the crops, duly certified by Agrodefesa in the Phytosanitary Certification of Origin System. \u201cThese professionals have ensured significant advances for fruit farming in Goi\u00e1s. The result is the opening of new international business opportunities,\u201d adds Caixeta.<\/p>\n
\nProcedures for recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n For a municipality to be recognized in the SMR, the interested producer must carry out phytosanitary surveys on cucurbit crops for a minimum and uninterrupted period of six months. This process must be monitored by a Technical Manager (RT) authorized by Agrodefesa. Based on this data, the Agency prepares a project and forwards it to the Ministry of Agriculture requesting official recognition.<\/p>\n \n\u201cAgrodefesa's work ranges from technical guidance, containing the necessary phytosanitary procedures, to the preparation of documentation with the technical manager and project preparation, subject to audits by the Ministry of Agriculture to obtain recognition in the SMR, through the publication of a federal ordinance\u201d, explains Agrodefesa's Plant Health manager, Daniela R\u00e9zio.<\/p>\n \nIn the case of Mundo Novo, the coordinator of the Cucurbit Risk Mitigation System Program at Agrodefesa, M\u00e1rio S\u00e9rgio de Oliveira, highlights that the producer contacted the Agency and, in June 2023, monitoring began to survey the detection and delimitation of the pest in June. \u201cThis work was carried out for six consecutive months, until December of the same year. At the end of this period, we prepared the project with the collected data and submitted it to Mapa\u201d, he explains.<\/p>\n \nIn addition to supporting producers in this process, Agrodefesa and Mapa promote training courses for independent agricultural engineers, aiming at their qualification to issue the Phytosanitary Certification of Origin (CFO) and the Consolidated Phytosanitary Certification of Origin (CFOC) for the Anastrepha grandis pest in cucurbits.<\/p>\n \nProduction and export<\/strong><\/p>\n According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2023, national watermelon production was approximately 1,781,971 tons. Of this total, Goi\u00e1s accounted for 204,617 tons, consolidating itself as the second largest producer in the country, behind only Bahia, which led with 230,006 tons.<\/p>\n \nIn the ranking of exporters, according to Mapa's Agrostat, Goi\u00e1s occupied the seventh position in 2024, exporting US$1.5T 270.1 thousand and 3,843 tons of the fruit to international markets. The main destinations for Goi\u00e1s watermelon were Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTHE Bela Cereais<\/strong> works with the best grains on the market and also keeps you up to date with the latest news and analyses on agribusiness.
\nDon't forget to follow our social networks.<\/em><\/h6>\n