The lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) are medicinal plants with very high productivity — with growth of 1 to 2 tons of green mass per hectare per cut and 4 to 6 cuts per year. The essential oil of citronella is the most widely used natural repellent worldwide; the oil from lemongrass (citral) has increasing applications in cosmetics, food, and natural cleaning products.
The market for natural citronella-based repellents grows 35% per year in Brazil — with consumers migrating from synthetic DEET to repellents with natural active ingredients. Lemongrass in sachets to repel mosquitoes and citronella incense have growing demand as environmental awareness increases.
When lemongrass and citronella are cultivated with proper management and distilled with quality, this segment can significantly contribute to job and income generation in Brazil.
Join our strategic actions to implement the best solutions in the Brazilian agricultural sector. Our activities, studies, and advanced research cover 20 chains and the 255 segments of the national agro sector — from the grain chain to sustainable extraction, including horticulture, fruit growing, livestock, and much more.
The series Innovation for Brazil to Produce More was developed precisely to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and the world, across the 255 segments of the agricultural sector — with accessible technical language, updated data, and a focus on practical results for producers, suppliers, governments, and marketers.
1. Opportunities for Small Rural Producers
How to produce and distill lemongrass and citronella efficiently
Lemongrass and citronella have high biomass productivity with low management costs — frequent pruning (every 90 days) increases production and maintains high oil content in the new leaves.
✔ Lemongrass: harvest every 90 days — maximum citral content
✔ Citronella: cut close to the ground — vigorous regrowth
✔ Steam distillation — higher quality oil
✔ Citral analysis (lemongrass) and citronellal (citronella)
✔ PRONAF for aromatic medicinal plants
The E-Book 01 — Strategic Manual for Small Rural Producers presents in detail the best solutions for this segment and the other 254 of the Brazilian agro sector — focusing on method, cost reduction, and progressive growth from Agro 1.0 to Agro 6.0. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
2. Opportunities for Micro and Small Local Suppliers
What equipment does the aromatic distillery require?
The lemongrass and citronella distillery requires medium-sized steam stills and oil analyzers — with an investment of R$ 30,000 to R$ 150,000.
Solutions by area of engineering applied to the segment
Our activities, studies, and advanced research cover six major engineering areas — and the chain demands solutions in all of them:
Electrical Engineering and Computing — medium-sized steam stills;
Electronic Engineering and IoT — yield and quality sensors;
Control and Automation Engineering — condensers and separators;
Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering — oil and repellent bottling machines;
Renewable Energy Engineering — biomass from the plant for energy;
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence — batch traceability.
✔ Steam stills for lemongrass and citronella
✔ Citral and citronellal analysis
✔ Natural repellent bottling machines
✔ ANVISA certification for natural repellent
✔ Consultancy in natural repellent formulation
The E-Book 02 — Strategic Guide for Micro and Small Local Suppliers maps, segment by segment, business opportunities — focusing on IoT, energy, automation, and specialized technical services. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
3. Opportunities for Municipal Governments
How the municipality can support natural repellents and create an aromatic pole
The natural citronella repellent for mosquito control is a public health product with high impact in combating dengue and malaria — and the municipality that supports local production creates a preventive health product with identity.
✔ Citronella planting program for mosquito control
✔ Municipal IDM: locally produced citronella oil
✔ Municipal natural repellent for distribution in UBS
✔ Partnership with natural cosmetics for lemongrass oil
✔ Aromatics Festival — identity and tourism
The E-Book 03 — Reference Guide for Municipal Governments presents a step-by-step guide for secretaries and municipal managers to implement effective public policies for the 255 segments of agro. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
4. Opportunities for Small Agricultural Product Retailers
How lemongrass and citronella generate business for repellents, cosmetics, and food
The natural citronella spray repellent — with citronellal above 70% — is the fastest-growing health product in the natural market. A 100ml bottle sold for R$ 15 to R$ 30 has raw material costs of R$ 0.50 to R$ 1.50.
The lemongrass oil (citral) for food is an ingredient in seasonings, functional beverages, and teas — with increasing B2B demand from food industries seeking natural aromas to replace synthetic ones.
Products with high commercial potential
The main products derived from this segment for local retail and foodservice:
Natural citronella repellent— public health; high growth;
Essential lemongrass oil— cosmetics and aromatherapy;
Artisanal citronella incense— decoration and functional;
Organic lemongrass tea— pharmacies and specialty stores;
Citronella oil for industry— natural pesticides and cosmetics;
Citronella repellent candle— premium summer product.
Merchant profiles and their specific opportunities
✔ Repellent industry: citronella for natural spray
✔ Natural cosmetics: lemongrass for shampoo and cream
✔ Aromatherapy: essential oils for diffusers
✔ Food industry: citral for natural seasonings
✔ Digital platforms: artisanal aromatic kits
✔ UBS: natural repellent for public distribution
Growth strategies for local merchants
The cooperative that distills lemongrass and citronella and formulates certified natural repellent has the fastest growing preventive health product — with margins of 10 to 20× the raw material and consistent demand from the disease prevention market.
The PRONAF and Pronampe cover planting and distillery costs. SEBRAE subsidizes ANVISA registration.
The E-Book 04 — Strategic Guide for Small Agricultural Product Merchants maps 30 merchant profiles and details growth opportunities across all 255 agro segments. Access now for BRL 99.00 →
Innovation and Technology Network
By purchasing any e-book from the series, you become a member of our Innovation and Technology Network. Groups with 30 members will be able to organize and fund in-person strategic planning events to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and the world.
✔ Small Rural Producers
✔ Micro and Small Supplier Businesses
✔ Municipal Governments
✔ Small Agricultural Product Retailers
⭐ Special offer: I will provide 100% discount on the value of my working hours for the 10 pioneer events organized by 11/30/26 and held in December 2026. Therefore, the 10 pioneer groups will only cover the general expenses.
Sincerely,
Ivo Alves
CEO · Master's in Electrical Engineering and Computing · Specialist in Project Management for Innovation and Technology
Instructor: IFPB and UFRN · 38 years of experience in Engineering
Written by
Equipe Editorial
Content Team
Nossa equipe de especialistas compartilhando conhecimento.
Get the latest updates in your inbox
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with the latest innovations and technologies for agriculture.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.