CROP DIVERSIFICATION

THE 1990s – “NEW TIMES”

The previously mentioned strategic planning defined a new mix of crops to be established on the farm, including oranges, rubber, coffee, cattle, and grains. The same planning also set planting, productivity, cost, and revenue goals to be achieved in various stages by 1993.

Oranges were a natural fit for the São Paulo region, where main juice processors are mostly located. Rubber was a pioneer crop at the time, introduced to the region by Cambuhy. Coffee represented a return to the roots and was reintroduced with the expectation that the global market would offer free market niches with a demand for high-quality coffee.

Oranges, coffee, and rubber were perennial crops with good profitability, with the first two intended for export, as was soy. Rubber was targeted for the domestic market, as part of an effort to replace imports. Grain crops yielded lower profitability, leading to considerations about their replacement, which happened shortly thereafter.

In 1992, the group began operating Cambuhy MC Industrial, a processing plant to produce concentrated orange juice for export, distributing its product to more than 25 countries, with offices in Germany and Canada, and in Asia with Mitsui & Co.

In 1998, the group sold its stake in Cambuhy M.C. to the Votorantim Group. However, it still remained in the orange production business.
Cambuhy is highly productive, supported by technological investments, research development, and the improvement of field labor. During harvest months, over 2,000 people are employed. Cambuhy is a major producer of orange and latex.