The CEAGESP wholesale market in São Paulo is the most important trade center for horticultural products in Brazil. A survey was done on the commercialization of arracacha and types of packing used at the São Paulo's wholesale market. Data was collected from 2000 to 2002 through visits to packinghouses in Minas Gerais and São Paulo States and the CEAGESP wholesale market. Twenty-five brokers were identified at the CEAGESP trading arracacha, and were divided in three groups based on the volume commercialized daily: small volume (18 brokers, up to 50 "K" boxes/day); intermediate volume (5 brokers, 50-200 "K" boxes/day); and large volume (2 brokers, >200 "K" boxes/day). Besides the traditional 27 kg pinewood crates ("K" boxes), two new plastic boxes are used for arracacha (32 kg and 23 kg of capacity; net weight of 2 kg) and three new corrugated crates (12 kg, 16 kg and 22 kg of capacity; net weight 0.7 kg). Plastic boxes are more expensive (R$ 5.00/unit), but last longer; the cost of corrugated crates ranged from R$ 1.50 to R$ 2.00; and pinewood "K" boxes are cheaper (R$ 0.80/unit). Plastic boxes and corrugated crates are recommended for higher quality arracacha roots, as those belonging to the "B", "Extra B" and "3A" classes. The changes at the wholesale market of arracacha are new market demands, such as smaller 12 kg corrugated boxes for street-fair vendors and corrugated and plastic display boxes for larger supermarket chains.
Peruvian carrot; Arracacia xanthorrhiza; packing; post-harvest handling
