Family turns European experience into agricultural business with raspberries and strawberries in Paraná

Lamponi, whose name derives from the Italian word for raspberry, originated from a family experience in western Paraná. This red fruit led to a rural venture that adapted European experiences to the Brazilian agricultural context.

The Favero family members lived in Barcelona, Spain, for several years, where they encountered raspberry cultivation. Upon returning to Brazil, they noticed that this fruit was not yet cultivated in the region and decided to start production eleven years ago.

Mattew Favero, who collaborates on the business with his mother, Edina Favero, and stepfather, Claudiomir Pereira, reported that the fruit also evokes memories of time spent in Europe. Initially, the family already had experience with soybean plantations and poultry farms, but they had to overcome significant obstacles to establish the new activity, including the bureaucratic complexities inherent to a family farming business.

The challenge of adaptation

Mattew highlighted that structuring the family business involves numerous regulations, fiscal, tax, and administrative issues, making the organization of these aspects the biggest challenge faced.

A second major obstacle was adjusting a fruit accustomed to the cold European climate to the specific climatic conditions of western Paraná. According to Embrapa research, raspberries are widely cultivated in parts of Eastern Europe and North America, requiring cold periods for development, which complicated local production.

Mattew explained that the decision to stop producing fresh raspberries was due to climatic reasons, as the ideal condition for the plant is 700 hours with temperatures below 7.5°C, conditions the state can no longer provide. Although there are varieties that require fewer cold hours, implementing appropriate infrastructure requires capital and specialized personnel; he mentioned that building a greenhouse for 5 to 9 thousand plants can cost between R$ 180 thousand and R$ 200 thousand.

Even after suspending fresh raspberry production, the family chose to continue diversifying the property. The experience with red fruits led the producers to cultivate strawberries. Currently, the property has about 15 thousand seedlings spread across five greenhouses, in addition to an agro-industry of approximately one hundred square meters.

However, climatic variations also posed difficulties in marketing the strawberries. Fruits that did not meet the desired visual standard for fresh sale began to be frozen and sold in packages at the local fair. It was from this situation that the family identified a new business opportunity, which has since become the main source of income.

Lamponi's frozen strawberries exemplify concepts of sustainability and economy. Currently, Lampone markets fresh strawberries in two ways: in winter, the period of highest harvest, the focus is on selling them raw; in summer, when the crop decreases, part of the production is destined for freezing.

The company produces about six tons of fresh strawberries and approximately fifteen tons of frozen strawberries annually. Their products reach about sixty supermarkets, in addition to being supplied to restaurants, confectioneries, small entrepreneurs who make artisanal popsicles, and state schools through meal programs.

For Mattew, the satisfaction of transforming farm production into food accessible to consumers is a central motivational factor for staying in agriculture. He emphasized that the greatest incentive is knowing that the product is the result of their own work, which provides an honest and healthy life.

The family's journey began with the attempt to grow raspberries in a climate distinct from Europe. The need for adaptation led to the cultivation of strawberries and subsequently, the freezing of fruits that did not meet fresh sale standards. Through diversification, the property managed to maintain the rural business, converting an international experience into an activity that today serves consumers from various areas of Paraná.

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super.abril.com.brSeptember 20, 02:02

Analysis of Characters and Plots in the Brazilian Naturalist Novel O Cortiço

Published in 1890, O Cortiço is considered one of the most relevant naturalist novels in Brazilian literature. The work was written by Aluísio Azevedo (1857-1913) and explores life in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro society, detailing the daily life of a housing complex where the lives of the residents intertwine in a complex scenario of passions, ambitions, and tragedies.

The narrative presents various stories and relationships between its characters, as illustrated in specific scenes:

Love Goes Mad

Jerônimo and his companion, Piedade, lived in room 35. His character and strength guaranteed him respect at the quarry adjacent to the tenement. However, his life took a turn after witnessing Rita Baiana dancing. Passionate, he began consuming cachaça, spending excessively, and finally abandoned his wife and daughter to dedicate himself to Rita.

Vocation for Mother-in-Law

Dona Isabel, a resident of house 15, dedicated herself entirely to educating Pombinha, aiming to marry her to João da Costa, a merchant, with the goal of restoring her former social status. The mother only permitted the marriage after the young woman's first menstruation. However, the union was brief because Pombinha betrayed her husband, was expelled, and ended up becoming a prostitute.

Painted Dirt

In number 12, where Marciana lived, another dramatic situation occurred. She was extremely meticulous about cleaning the house, but went mad when her daughter, Florinda, only 15 years old, became pregnant by an employee of the shop, João Romão. Since he did not assume paternity, the girl ran away after being assaulted by her mother. Consequently, Marciana was evicted from the tenement.

What Does the Baiana Have?

Rita Baiana lived in number 9. Beautiful and skilled at samba, she was the lover of the capoeirista Firmo, but also attracted the interest of the neighbor, Jerônimo, who was Portuguese. During the dispute over Rita's affection, Firmo wounded the Lusitanian with a razor. Later, Jerônimo recovered and eliminated his rival in an ambush.

Neighbors and Rivals

Miranda acted as an antagonist to João Romão. He lived in the townhouse next to the store and watched his property gradually surrounded by the growth of the tenement. The merchant valued status above all else; he married Dona Estela because of the dowry and harbored doubts about whether he was truly the father of his daughter, Zulmirinha. This generated envy in him regarding how Romão prospered and his relationship with Bertoleza.

The Witch's Bonfire

Paula, known as the Witch, possessed striking physical characteristics, such as being ugly, corpulent, having bulging eyes, and threatening teeth. Furthermore, she was capable of treating skin problems and fevers through prayers and blessings. She wished to burn down the tenement and succeeded in doing so on the second attempt. After the fire, João Romão had to rebuild the place, transforming it into a grand and aristocratic space.

The Owner of the Place

João Romão started his venture by inheriting the tavern where he had worked for twelve years. Later, he bought land behind the tavern at an auction and built three small houses, marking the beginning of the tenement. He used Bertoleza's money to expand the business (in addition to owning a quarry in the back). Although he liked to delay payments, he was effective at collecting debts, which made him even richer. In his pursuit of social ascent, he distanced himself from Bertoleza to try to marry Zulmirinha.

Eternally Slave

To achieve her freedom, the slave Bertoleza gathered twenty thousand reis. However, she was tricked by her lover, João Romão: the Portuguese provided her with a false freedom document and used the money to increase sales. This happened because Bertoleza did everything for him, working from early morning until late at night, taking care of the shop and the residence they shared.