Oranges and lemons at the Culturale Packing House in Araraquara, São Paulo, where they grow and pack fresh citrus and juicing oranges. Brazil is the world's largest producer and exporter of orange juice, supplying about 75 percent of the global market.
organizations strengthening ties with Brazil, we witnessed firsthand the adaptive and innovative strategies advancing Brazilian agriculture. Our visits highlighted the rapid development and wide-spread adoption of biological products as well as the acceleration of precision agriculture for Brazil’s farmers. With a thriving start- up scene and expanding rural connectivity, AI tools and data analytics are providing insights to improve yield, as well as water and nutrient use efficiency. Highlights of the visits included the start-up companies Symbionics Brazil and IDEE Lab, both using AI and genomic sequencing to discover and commercialize new biological products, as well as Koppert Brazil tackling pest pressure with drone-deployed biologicals, and AgNest validating new technologies for farmers in real-world farming systems. At Fundecitrus, an association of citrus growers, we toured the Applied Research Center, a model institution for international collaboration and solutions-focused transparency. Their efforts to stop the spread and address the impacts of Huanglongbing (HLB), a bacterial infection of citrus plants, has engaged more than 19 scientific institutions in seven countries, including our own UC Riverside. The pest monitoring and management lab provides free PCR testing for farmers for HLB and other pathogens as well as support for farmers to rogue and replace infected trees.
Avocado seedlings at Jaguacy Farms, the largest producer and exporter of avocados in Brazil.
20 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com September | October 2025
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