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In São Miguel do Oeste, Vilson Jacó Vogel left more than 20 years of carpentry to live off pitaya, with 450 plants and harvests reaching six tons, despite the current price drop
Pitaya changed the life of Vilson Jacó Vogel, a 55-year-old farmer from São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina, who left carpentry after transforming an extra income into his sole livelihood.
Extra income became main livelihood
The change began about nine years ago, when Vilson still worked as a carpenter for a company in the city. Even with a salary considered good, he was looking for an alternative to increase his income.
It was at this moment that the idea of planting pitaya arose. The cultivation started modestly, divided with the routine of carpentry, a profession he had practiced for over two decades.
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As the crop progressed, production increased and demand also grew rapidly. What seemed like a supplement began to require constant presence in the field and attention to sales.
Vilson says that customers would come to his house to buy the fruit when he wasn’t there. They would pick up the pitaya left on the table and put the money in its place.
The situation showed that the activity already had the strength to compete with his fixed job. About four years ago, he decided to leave the company and live off rural production.
Since then, the farmer states that he fully supports himself with pitaya. The decision marked his departure from the eight-hour-a-day carpentry routine, faced in rain or shine.
Pitaya production reaches six tons
Today, Vilson cultivates about 450 fruit plants. Production varies according to the climate, but ranges between five and six tons per harvest, with a harvest period of four to five months.
The quantity obtained depends on the conditions of each year, as the climate affects the performance of the plants. Commercialization occurs both in city markets and directly with consumers.
Part of the pitaya supplies local commerce, while another part reaches customers who follow the production. Vilson maintains fixed buyers and even a WhatsApp group to organize orders.
In a record harvest, São Miguel do Oeste could not absorb the entire available quantity. To sell the surplus, the farmer negotiated with a company in Chapecó.
Climate defines crop care
The producer points to climate as a decisive factor for pitaya cultivation. Greater care is taken in the first two years, a phase when the plant is more fragile.
In this initial period, frost can kill the crop. The region where Vilson lives has cold weather, but little frost, a condition he considers an advantage for maintaining production.
The fruit does not adapt well in very cold places. Therefore, the location of the property helped the farmer to continue with the crop, even in a colder area of Santa Catarina.
Despite still having a structure linked to his old profession, Vilson chose to concentrate his routine on the farm. He has a carpentry shop, but states that he cannot reconcile the two activities.
The choice consolidated a complete change. The old profession was left behind, while the family production of pitaya began to organize his work, income, and daily routine.
Lower price changes market scenario
Pitaya was once seen as a high-value fruit. Vilson recalls that a kilo used to cost between R$ 40 and R$ 50.
The scenario changed with the growth of production in several regions. Currently, the farmer states that the fruit can be found for R$ 4, R$ 5, or R$ 6 per kilo.
In some areas, the value reaches R$ 3.50 per kilo. For Vilson, this drop mainly affects larger producers who need to pay employees.
He believes that, at this price, those who depend on hired labor may not be able to survive. Market pressure demands more careful management of production and sales.
Small scale still pays off
Even with lower prices and greater competition, Vilson believes that pitaya cultivation can still be worthwhile for small producers. The condition is to keep up with the market.
For him, the activity was successful because it grew alongside a local and direct clientele. Production went from an attempt at extra income to a base of livelihood after years of work.
With information from NSC Total.
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