Mônica Bergamo: Soft drink manufacturers accuse White Martins of privileging Coca-Cola

Businessmen in the soft drink sector claim that their productions are affected and even paralyzed because White Martins abruptly interrupted the supply of CO2 to them. Gas is an essential raw material for the production of carbonated beverages.

MEGAPHONE

On the other hand, they claim that the company kept supplying CO2 to large manufacturers, such as Coca-Cola. “It’s irresponsible beyond measure. How does it privilege one manufacturer over another?”, asks Fernando Rodrigues de Bairros, president of the Association of Soft Drink Manufacturers in Brazil (Afrebras).

MEGAPHONE 2

Federal deputy Enio Verri (PT-PR) has filed a representation with CADE (Administrative Council for Economic Defense) asking for the opening of an inquiry to investigate the situation. The agency states that the complaint is being analyzed by the General Superintendence in a “restricted access procedure”.

FLUSH

According to the document, by continuing to supply CO2 to Coca-Cola and leaving other manufacturers without the input, White Martins “hurts the interests of the community, prevents the consuming public from having access to a greater diversity of products on the market, the manipulation of prices to the final consumer and violates the constitutional guarantees of free enterprise and free competition.”

SCARCITY

The businessmen claim that the problem started in March. They say they were informed about the interruption of the CO2 supply through a letter. At the time, White Martins released the manufacturers to seek the input with other companies – many had an exclusive contract with the company.

SCARCITY 2

The problem, according to the sector, is that these other companies are unable to meet market demand, since White Martins is the main supplier of raw material in the country. As a result, according to Afrebras, the price of CO2 increased from R$1.50 to around R$20 per kilo.

LOSSES

Some entrepreneurs had to stop their productions. This is the case of the Bali Hai Brewery, in Santa Catarina, which has been brewing for three months because of the lack of raw material. “And we have no forecast of when the situation will normalize”, says Dayane Titon, commercial director of the company.

LOSSES 2

The problem especially affects manufacturers in the South and Southeast of the country, according to Afrebras.

ATTEMPT

White Martins says that “it is working intensively to maintain supply to its customers, regardless of size”. According to the company, there are restrictions “in some specific locations due to the maintenance stop of the company that supplies raw CO2 to the company’s main production plant, located in Cubatão (SP)”.

ANSWER

Also according to White Martins, the supply failure situation is temporary. “Customers have been advised in advance that there could be temporary restrictions on CO2 supply due to the priority of supply destined for vaccine storage and organ transport, as well as environmental applications.”

“The company reiterates that it is making every effort to maintain supply to its customers, bringing the product from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and the United States, in addition to transferring CO2 from other company plants in Bahia and Minas Gerais”, says the note.

CANDLES

Maria da Conceição Feitosa, aka Doninha, turned 90 last month at a party that also celebrated the 70th birthday of lawyer Guiomar Mendes, her daughter, and the 50th birthday of granddaughter Ketlin Feitosa Scartezini. Guiomar’s husband, the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Gilmar Mendes attended the celebration, which was held at Fazenda Boísa, in Ceará. Former senator Chiquinho Feitosa (DEM-CE) and his wife, Fernanda Souza, were there.

_{with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS and MANOELLA SMITH}