“Carousel or rotary milking guarantees a standardized and effective milking routine, allowing to extract the maximum productive potential of the herd”
Alexandre Wolff is the president of Xandô, holds a degree in accounting from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and a postgraduate degree in marketing from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.
Sergio Soriano is the manager of Fazenda Colorado, and a veterinarian at the Regional University Center of Espírito Santo do Pinhal.
Xandô is a dairy company founded in Araras, State of São Paulo, that turned 40 in 2022. Xandô belongs to Grupasso Participações S.A., a Brazilian company that also includes Fazenda Colorado, Sucorrico and Plastirrico.
Alexandre Wolff, president of Xandô
AgriBrasilis – Fazenda Colorado has been the leader in milk production in the country for 10 years. What technologies are used?
Alexandre e Sergio – For the 10th consecutive year, Fazenda Colorado is the largest milk producer in Brazil, holders of the historical record of 100 thousand liters in just 24 hours in August of 2021. Colorado has one of the most modern milking facilities in Latin America, in carousel format.
The farm belongs to the heirs of founder Lair Antonio de Souza, who in 1982 inaugurated Xandô, a family business with four decades of experience. In 1995, with the herd growing and with the support of technology, the family implemented electronic bracelets on the cows’ feet for real-time monitoring and to enable individual care for each animal. These wristbands transmit 24 hours of information about step measurement, rest time, etc.
Sergio Soriano, manager of Fazenda Colorado
In 2012, a new technological leap took place with the installation of mechanical milking, one of the most modern in Latin America, in carousel format, and with the capacity to milk 72 cows simultaneously.
The farm is self-sufficient with the lineage of its herd, with more than 2,332 Holstein cows in lactation, pure in origin. The farm invests in the comfort, food and vaccination of the animals. The cows are accompanied by veterinarians and specialized technicians, and receive all the necessary attention for their well-being and health.
The farm has always been a reference in technology. From its equipment, that has the highest profitability, with the lowest level of consumption, to its laboratories, that contribute to the genetic improvement of animals. The production processes at Fazenda Colorado use the best technology available in the national and international markets. This technology requires a highly skilled team.
AgriBrasilis – How does the carousel milking system work and what are its benefits?
Alexandre and Sergio – Carousel or rotary milking guarantees a standardized and effective milking routine, allowing to extract the maximum productive potential of the herd, in less time and with less manpower.
At Fazenda Colorado we have a milking carousel with 72 stations, that works as follows:
- The animals arrive at the rotating platform through the waiting room through an automatic approach gate;
- Then, they enter the platform through an individual access, where they position themselves for the milking process;
- Once on the platform (in a rotating movement) the milking procedures begin.
The fact that the cows move on a circular platform towards the milkers contributes to a continuous and patterned flow of animals during the milking process.
This equipment allows reaching milking capacities of more than 600 cows/hour, depending on factors such as platform size, milkers’ training, animal productivity, handling of animal input, milking procedures, etc.
Inside the carousel, each cow is individually positioned in its stall, designed specifically for its dimensions, according to its breed (e.g. Holstein, Jersey or crossbred).
Even individualized, the cows are able to maintain eye contact with their companions, that makes them feel calmer and more comfortable.
AgriBrasilis – What is the diet of these animals to ensure maximum productivity? What inputs are needed?
Alexandre and Sergio – The feeding program for dairy cows is carried out according to the stages of lactation and their correlation with production, consumption and body weight.
We seek to meet the requirements according to each production phase, respecting the energy density required in each situation.
The diet aims to provide necessary nutrients for the animals, meeting the requirements of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals, seeking the milk production in a safe way, so as not to compromise the health of the animals.
The inputs provided are corn silage; pre-dried Tifton; wet brewery residue; cottonseed; citrus pulp; corn; soybean meal; Soypass; palm oil-based protected fat supplement; and vitamin-mineral supplement, with additives that aim to bring additional response to the performance and health of the animals.
AgriBrasilis – What are the animal welfare practices adopted by the company? How is this question evaluated?
Alexandre and Sergio – It is necessary to attend to a series of factors, ranging from ethics to improving the quality of the product, including respect for the environment.
Fazenda Colorado is certified by QIMA/WQS. The Animal Welfare seal states that breeders are complying with the “five freedoms”, that provide the framework of conditions established globally for the herd protection. The five freedoms are a kind of declaration of animal rights. They are:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst;
- Freedom from discomfort;
- Freedom from disease and injury;
- Freedom to express the natural behaviors of the species;
- Freedom from fear and stress.
Fazenda Colorado was the first with its own dairy to win the Biosafety Certification seal. The initiative, unprecedented in Brazil and carried out by the partnership between Embrapa Gado de Leite and Boehringer Ingelheim, attests to more guarantees in relation to food safety by involving the adoption of protocols that ensure the protection and control of the occurrence of diseases in cattle herds, medicine use reduction, in addition to promoting the well-being of animals.
AgriBrasilis – What is Xandô’s market share in the dairy products and juices market? What synergies exist between whole milk and juice production?
Alexandre and Sergio – Xandô was the brand that grew the most in 2022 in the chilled juices category (+58%). This growth took place both in the city of São Paulo and in the interior of the State of São Paulo, as well as in all self-service formats. The brand gained the most share (+4pp) in the period, reaching 18% share.
In type A milk, Xandô has been growing over the last few years and maintaining absolute leadership in the segment, with a 46% share.
The sales volume of Xandô milk in 2022 exceeded 20 million liters, while sales of juices exceeded 15 million liters. The expectation for 2023 is to grow 11% in volume.
Because of changes in consumer behavior, that began to seek more natural and healthy options, the juice segment stood out.
Today, Xandô has its own orchards and a team 100% dedicated to bringing high quality, fresh and natural products to Brazilian homes. We operate only with fresh products, that come daily from Fazenda Colorado.
AgriBrasilis – How did the company double its revenues in the last four years and what were the challenges related to this growth?
Alexandre and Sergio – In January of 2018, Xandô started the professional management process. After Alexandre took over the presidency, the company began a change of mentality, expanding investments in people, redesigning processes, organizational charts and the entire go to market. In 2022, the brand celebrated 40 years and innovated by bringing a new visual identity.
For this growth, a disruption was necessary, a maturing process, and this was done with credibility and with a relationship of trust. In 2022, Xandô was ready to break paradigms and change the symbols that were part of the company’s history. The family that owns the business also came to this conclusion, as Carlos Alberto Pasetti de Souza said: “This brand is no longer mine, it belongs to the consumer and belongs to the market”.
Xandô expanding its line to serve the Brazilian consumer, who seeks fresh, natural and quality products. In addition to expanding its portfolio of juices and dairy products, Xandô expanded into the butter category and reworked its entire branding. The expansion movement brings together the brand’s DNA and the opportunities to operate in the market, not only for whole juices and type A milk, on which much of its trajectory was based, but now also in other categories of dairy products and beverages.
In addition to the search for innovation, it was necessary to analyze the company’s branding strategy, in a deep and judicious way, in order to develop its brand platform.
In early 2022, the brand introduced Xandô A2 milk, that provides easy digestion, lightness and well-being. In the 2nd half, the brand launched products such as coalho cheese and minas padrão cheese. Both bring the raw material differential, that is Xandô A2 milk. In addition, another healthy option became part of the line of natural and whole juices produced by the company: the Suco Verde, a functional drink, without preservatives, sugars or additives.
The Xandô family and brand have the mission of preserving the tradition, quality and freshness of milk for consumers and building the culture of refrigerated milk in retail, that still greatly restricts the category’s exhibition spaces.
AgriBrasilis – What are Xandô’s investments, in which segments?
Alexandre and Sergio – Among the investments planned for the coming years, Xandô should increase its manufacturing capacity, modernize distribution centers, increase distribution capillarity and brand visibility through communication, with a budget of approximately US$ 2 million/year.
AgriBrasilis – The company now produces A2A2 type milk. What sets this product apart? Why bet on a segment that represents only 1% of the national milk market?
Alexandre and Sergio – Type A milk is a great differential in the market, because of its high quality and proven origin. From milking to filling, everything must be carried out within the same farm, without manual contact, that is, 100% mechanized. By associating this process with pasteurization, it is possible to obtain superior milk, that retains its nutrients and does not require additives or preservatives. That’s why it’s fresh, tasty, has only 14 days of validity and must be kept refrigerated.
About A2A2 milk, this innovative product caters to consumers who like milk, but who until then felt great discomfort after ingesting it. This milk provides easy digestion, lightness and well-being, and is certified by #bebamaisleite, through the “VACAS A2A2” seal, that guarantees the origin of the product only from animals with the A2A2 genotype. A2 milk, that has only A2 beta-casein, allows for better digestibility.
In October 2021, Anvisa recognized the international studies presented by ABRALEITE, proving the benefits of A2 milk to the digestive health of the consumer. Fazenda Colorado, where all Xandô milks are produced, organized its herd, separating the A2A2 cows from the others, adjusting the feeding and milking process to bring to the market a milk with only A2 protein.
Therefore, A2 milk came to solve the discomfort of consumers who have greater difficulty in digesting A1 beta-casein, a protein found in conventional milk.
Interview conducted on May 9th, 2023.
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