Yoshida & Hirata: Planting the seeds of success for generations

Having been in business for 42 years, the history of Yoshida & Hirata, a distributor of agricultural inputs, mirrors the path of the fruit and vegetable market in Brazil. The company, which services vegetable producers who supply big cities in the state of São Paulo, focuses on sustainability, transparency and professionalism. 

Founded by Makoto Yoshida and headquartered in Biritiba-Mirim in the state of São Paulo, the distributor is already being led by the second generation, with Yoshida’s three children included among the partners.

Alberto Yoshida presents during a crop science breakout session at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference

“Working with family is challenging,” explains Alberto Yoshida, Makoto’s son and partner in the company. “Currently, we are finalizing our corporate governance for the business, because we try to treat the history of Yoshida with professionalism.”

These values and the company’s positioning have been reflected in its numbers. Yoshida & Hirata already has branches in Mogi das Cruzes (São Paulo) and Ibiúna (São Paulo), representing a growth of more than 20 percent of its business.

“In the beginning, we only had one small store,” says Yoshida. “Currently, we have two branches and approximately 80 employees.”

Grocery store chains are investing more and more in the fruits and vegetables sectors, increasing demand and requiring growers to be able to answer questions on certification, origin and traceability.  With these points in mind, Yoshida emphasizes the use of biological products on crop production. The company has seen a large increase in the demand of products like those found in the Alltech Crop Science line.  

“It is clear that the use of alternative products is a growing sector, which shows a greater interest in the microbiology of the plant,” he says.

Yoshida also highlights that this type of crop care contributes to food safety.

“The final consumer is able to access information through the products’ traceability,” he adds. “Therefore, we try to produce vegetables in a very conscientious way.”

Have a question or comment?