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AIBA | 2017/2018 | 1 HAVERST YEARBOOK FOR WESTERN BAHIA
AIBA | 2017/2018 | 1
HAVERST YEARBOOK FOR WESTERN BAHIA
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That is whatwe do!
PROMOTE AND STRENGTHENBAHIAN AGRIBUSINESS.
For more than 28 years, with concrete andeffective actions for the development of agribusiness, Aiba has inserted the West ofBahia among the largest grain and fiberproducing regions in Brazil.
EDITORIALI
t was a year of hard work, investment and entrepreneurship, which has resulted in new records of productivity in the field. The Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba) has much to celebrate, as well as share with society, businessmen
and others related to the sector – things that are being done by producers of Western Bahia and their representatives. Their ac-tions go beyond the farm gates and are reflected in the econom-ic, social and environmental development of the region, revealing an orderly and sustainable growth of agribusiness. Dialogue with the Government has improved, but the resources are still small and need to be multiplied by the producers.
As for the crops, many techniques are applied to ensure soil im-provement, with management adaptations and use of adapted varieties, which are resistant to pests and diseases. The incentive to diversify production, in the off-season and in independent ar-eas, has brought good results and new income alternatives.
For schools and communities, we adopted gardens and thus guaranteed the improvement of nutritional quality. For the family health clinics, we took equipment and guaranteed the expansion of care. With the work of recovering unpaved country roads, we guaranteed not only the flow of production and foreign exchange to the State, but the lives of those who travel them. The invest-ment still comes in encouraging research and genetic improve-ment, in the realization of training and qualification opportunities. In valued environmental actions, springs are being recovered, with preserved areas and biodiversity guaranteed.
In 2018 we took an important step in guaranteeing water se-curity by developing a comprehensive study of the region to quantify and monitor the availability of the Urucuia aquifer (un-derground) and the river basins of the Corrente, Grande and Carinhanha (surface). The macro project also involves a third line of research for the study of land use, soil occupation and carbon balance. The work has aggregated different sectors of society, enabling the breakdown of paradigms in relation to the productive form of agribusiness and generating a greater public interest, with relevant results.
Celestino ZanellaPresident of Aiba
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34 | SOY
38 | BEAN
42 | COFFEE
46 | SORGHUM AND MILLET
50 | COTTON
54 | FRUTICULTURE
58 | FORESTS
60 | FARMING
62 | BAHIA FARM SHOW
The Bahian West Safra Yearbook is a publication of the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia.
Avenida Ahylon Macêdo, 919Tel.: 77 3613.8000
Morada Nobre - Barreiras - Bahia
www.aiba.org.br
INDEX
EXPEDIENTE
8 | THE REGION
10 | INTERVIEW
13 | AGRICULTURAL VOCATION
14 | INFRASTRUCTURE
16 | SEARCH
18 | ENVIRONMENT
20 | ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
22 | PHYTOSANITARY
26 | SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
32 | SOYBEAN PLUS
ESSAY
Ana Paula Loiola
EDITING AND REVIEW
Catiane Magalhães - Jornalista - DRT-BA: 2845
GRAPHIC PROJECT / PUBLISHING / PHOTOS
Marca Studio - 77 3611.1745
TRANSLATION
Joshua Daniel
DRAWING
5.000 copies
PRESIDENT: Celestino Zanella1ST VICE PRESIDENT: Odacil Ranzi2ST VICE PRESIDENT: Moisés Almeida SchmidtADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER: Valter GattoVICE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER: Josué Grah – SLC AgrícolaFINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Marcelino Flores de OliveiraVICE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Hélio Hopp
FISCAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ildo João RamboRomeu César CarvalhoMartin Döwich
ALTERNATE FISCAL COUNCIL
Felipe Francisco FaccioniHélio BusatoWilliam Seiji Mizote
The Bahian West Harvest Yearbook, aware of environmental and social issues,
uses paper from controlled sources for the printing of this material. The raw
material comes from managed forests in an ecologically correct, socially just and
economically viable way.Printed in the Irmãos Ribeiro Graphic.
PAPER PRODUCEDFROM SOURCES
RESPONSIBLE
TECHNICAL ADVICE
Landino José DutkevicsAntônio GrespanJosé Claudio de OliveiraOrestes MandelliPedro MatanaRaimundo Santos
CONSULTING BOARD
Humberto Santa Cruz FilhoJoão Carlos Jacobsen RodriguesWalter Yukio HoritaJúlio Cézar Busato
ADVISED DIRECTORS
Luís Carlos BergamaschiPaulo Massayoshy MizoteOsvino Fábio RicardiDouglas Alexandre Radoll
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THE REGION
WESTERN BAHIA: Storehouse of Opportunities
The West of Bahia, a region between the municipalities of Formosa do Rio Preto, to the north, on the border with the state of Piauí, and Cocos, to the south on the border with the state of Goiás, represents an important agricultural frontier for the country. As a reference in large-scale production, carried out with en-
trepreneurship and a high level of excellence in production processes, the region is a model of agricultural growth and use of advanced technology. The sum of actions in soil correction, geographical characteristics and public policies have transformed into the reality of regional agribusiness, making the region one of the most productive in Brazil. Considering the Cerrado formations and transition with other ecosystems, there are approximately 9.6 million hectares, and the area currently devoted to the development of agribusiness corresponds to approximately 2.4 million hectares.
Soybean production is the main agricultural activity, with this grain being cultivat-ed since the beginning of the 1980s. Currently, the cultivation of cotton, corn, beans, sorghum, forage, coffee, fruits and also livestock are activities that complement the matrix productive location. Production is concentrated in the municipalities of Bar-reiras, Luís Eduardo Magalhães, São Desidério, Formosa do Rio Preto, Correntina, Riachão das Neves, Jaborandi, Cocos and Baianópolis. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), 92% of all grain production is concentrated in western Bahia, and some studies estimate that the region has great potential for expansion, especially when considering the extensive area as well as favorable weather and soil conditions.
Well-defined seasons, flat topography and rainfall indices, as well as an extensive river basin with perennial rivers on the Urucuia aquifer, which enhances irrigation, are natural conditions for the development of agricultural activity in the region. The presence of agribusiness and export channels in the state also consolidates the West of Bahia as the grain producing hub of the Northeast.
The region is one of the fastest growing and boosts the development of the state's economy. 34.2% of Bahia's agricultural and livestock Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is concentrated in the West's 24 municipalities, which represents more than a third of all the wealth produced by the sector at the state level. Municipalities like São Desidé-rio, one of the four richest in the West, have their economy based fundamentally on agriculture, which accounts for 69.2% of the municipal GDP, the largest agricultural GDP in Brazil. With the largest area planted in the country, equivalent to 600 thousand hectares, the municipality is known worldwide for the volume of grains produced and the quality of it’s cotton.
THE REGION
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The importance of the regionwest of Bahia in the
of national agribusiness
You established yourself in the region in 1995 as a leader of the coffee sector and also as a repre-sentative of the irrigators in the São Francisco River Basin Committee. What problems were experienced at that time? Was it possible to catch glimpse a promising scenario for western Bahia?
SALLES: I remember that at that moment, Luiz Eduardo Magalhães was being emancipated and we only had a single hotel and restaurant there. They were hard times, not that it is a bed of roses now, but then the problems were much greater. Nor was it comparable to the difficulties experi-enced by the first producers who came to settle in the region in the 1980s, who camped in tents with their families. I was part of the "second wave" at the height of coffee growing in the region, us-ing high technology implemented by producer João Barata, one of the pioneers. I fell in love with the region, with high productivity and we already had great potential for growth at that time.
And how did you get to Seagri, with this baggage and experience in the productive sector and pri-vate initiative? What was the biggest challenge in implementing public policy as a secretary?
In an exclusive interview with the Yearbook of the Western Region of Bahia, Eduardo Salles, agronomist and irrigation master, talks about the importance of the region in the development of agribusiness, the attraction of new investments for the sector and the work of the verticalization of the commodity chains. As a professional, Salles
has a strong presence in the region, representing important productive segments. As public manager, he held the executive position of Secretary of Agriculture (Seagri) and currently represents the sector in the Legislative Assembly of Bahia (Alba), in his second term, chairing the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Policy.
INTERVIEW
SALLES: I was able to prove that, in fact, the private initiative is moving much faster than the State (with Public Power, in general, a “trailer" lags behind). The segments, within the government itself, hamper the development of the sector. The pioneering potential of those who settled in the West, I quote the southerners there, in greater participation, and farmers from every corner of Brazil and even the world, is not compatible with the bureaucratic ties of public power. Now, as a deputy, I continue to defend greater autonomy for the businessman from the West who, besides being a farmer, is a good manager, an adminis-trator who knows how to produce and market in a competitive way. The west just needs the state to invest in infrastructure. Recognizing this competence of the productive sector and as an important legacy of my management, we have made important progress with the creation of Prodeagro, a publicly-funded resource that is multiplied and managed by farmers for invest-ments in research and infrastructure. A work that would cost R$10 million for the State can be exe-cuted, with quality, for a lower cost of nearly 30%. It must be understood that the speed of projects will be greater with the allocation of resources to the Fund. >>
EDUARDO SALLESAgronomist and Master in Irrigation
INTERVIEW
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AGRICULTURAL VOCATION
Sustainable use of Urucuiawill ensure the expansion ofirrigation and maintain theregion's water security
Productivity in irrigated areas is usually higher, which has attract-ed many producers interested in expanding their business. In the dry area, for example, soy has an average of 50 sacks per hectare, compared to 70 sacks per hectare in the irrigated area.
The same happens with the cotton crop, with 280 and 350 arrobas per hectare, respectively, in the irrigated and non-irrigated areas. With the corn crop, the variation is similar to that of soybeans, with yields of 130 to 150 bags per hectare.
"From the study being done, we will ensure the expansion and water security in the region, with sustainability. The tendency, de-pending on the availability of the rivers, is to go to the use of ground-water, extracting only that which is able to be replenished and not the reserve. Monitoring of the aquifer will serve as a base for the adoption of preventive and control measures”, considers the direc-
tor of Water and Irrigation of Aiba, Cisino Lopes.
The West of Bahia has a predom-inance in non-irrigated production, which is characterized by an agri-culture that depends exclusively on rainwater, restricted in the region to six months of the year, from October to March. By completing the planting calendar, farmers are able to ensure the historical yields of soybeans, cot-ton, maize and other complementary crops. Data from Aiba show that the non-irrigated area represents 93.5%, with 2.2 million hectares of area.
The irrigated area is only 6.5%, equivalent to 160 thousand hect-ares, mostly with central pivot sys-tems (90%) and also by drip and mi-cro sprinkler systems. According to Lopes, there are a total of 1,522 piv-ots, with irrigation capacity of up to 300 hectares, and about 10 thousand hectares in the simplified forms of irrigation. On average, the irrigation costs for the producer is US$ 10,000 per hectare, with variations.
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In relation to Prodeagro, is there any involvement from the city govern-ments of the region?
SALLES: The cities, in general, have a greater financial difficulty, but in the West of Bahia the income that comes from farming is also very large, involving the collection of taxes in the production and services segments. It is necessary that all of them understand the impor-tance of the agricultural sector in the economy of the region, above all, in the generation of employment and income. The counterpart must exist to ensure, for example, that back roads are better managed. The obligation belongs to the municipality, the state and the federal government.
Logistics is still a major bottleneck with the existence of a single modal for the flow of production. What is being done to unlock important works like the East West Railway (Fiol), for example?
SALLES: From the gateway inwards, the region and the whole Matopiba (Mara-nhão, Tocantins, Piauí, Bahia) complex are competitive with every country in the world in terms of productivity, but we can lose in logistics. As a member of the Fiol and Porto Sul commission and being present at all meetings and decisions, I estimate that we missed a great opportunity and now the situation is different. At a time when the federal government had the resources to run, there were some who called them-selves "environmentalists" and obstruct-ed the construction of the port and the completion of the railroad. Brazil then entered another moment of declining economy, forcing people to go after international investors. At this time, we are in a very advanced process of nego-tiation with groups in China, so that Fiol may be granted and completed. The junction with the North-South railroad is also another possibility in articulation.
What are the main demands of the re-gion that arrive today at your office in Alba, and which guide you in proposi-tions and amendments, for example?
SALLES: There are many projects pre-sented not only by me, but by other mem-bers of the allied or opposition base, who directly or indirectly involve the sector, and we fight a very great internal struggle to defend the competitiveness and devel-opment of agribusiness entrepreneurs. Some are absurd and run counter to the development of the sector, such as the ban on aerial spraying and the use of 30 chemicals, including some common her-bicides in the region, such as glyphosate, used for the control of pests and diseas-es. We cannot allow projects of this type to be approved and prevent the growth of agriculture, a segment so important for economic, social and environmental development. In relation to the registra-tion fees, which were absurdly high for the sector, and approved by the House last year, we managed to reduce them by around 40%. Our challenge now is to remedy the problem of regulation and collection of water used for irrigation, recently instituted by the Government. The law already exists and needs to be fulfilled, but we want to ensure that such a levy is not too burdensome for the rural producer; We also have many problems with land regularization and legal securi-ty, especially in Western Bahia. I entered with a bill that regulates and gives a con-dition of legal stability for these lands. We have a very large problem with areas that were on the border with other states such as Tocantins, Goiás and Minas Gerais, and that, based on a new survey by the army, that opposes current borders, they have changed theoretically. At the request of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), the State At-torneys are making new agreements and we have direct involvement, in this case, along with the leaders of the sector.
With regard to the incentive to agro-in-dustry, what advances have been made?
SALLES: We have climbed an import-ant step, but we need to intensify the process of verticalization of commod-ity chains, adding value to production. Bahia, for example, is the second larg-est producer of cotton, with high qual-ity fiber, but we do not have an aggre-gate textile industry. We have already processed and sold in bulk, which is an evolution, but we do not have a manufacturing and spinning industry in the state. Deficiencies in infrastruc-ture and, above all, electric power in the region, in sufficient quantity and quality, are obstacles. Regarding soy-bean and corn crops, we already have a large number of improvement units, but we could have a lot more. With the transformation of production into ani-mal protein, with by-products in large volumes, like bran, we could develop animal husbandry in confinement.
Do you think that modern agricul-ture has evolved in a sustainable way and from the environmental point of view?
SALLES: It has been proven, with studies from Embrapa and even Nasa, that the Western region is one of the most preserving we have and that the biggest environmentalists are the producers. They know that the greater good is nature and that their estate depends on it. They sacrifice and use their own money for pres-ervation. Just as in any profession, there are those who do not comply and need to be punished, but the vast majority of farmers in the region are nature-preserving and riverside com-munities are already recognizing their importance.
INTERVIEW
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INFRASTRUCTURE
es. There is also an important destination for genetic improvement of crops, soil management, and envi-ronmental projects. We evaluated the feasibility of the project and submitted to the approval of the Council, in short, all the legal process for operationalization,” said the executive director of Prodeagro, Jussara Ventura.
The Bahia Association of Farmers and Irrigators (Aiba), the Bahian Association of Cotton Producers (Abapa), the Bahia Foundation and the state Secretar-ies of Agriculture (Seagri) and Infrastructure (Seinfra) are part of the management council of the Program.
MECHANIZED PATROL
Aiba, through the Mechanized Patrol of Abapa, has done an important job of recovering the road. The goal is to raise the barriers of the road in order to avoid the accumulation of water, followed by graveling. And for the first time, the long-awaited asphalting took place. In 2018 alone, more than 33 kilometers were completed, in the district of Roda Velha, in São Desidério, known as Soybean Highway. "More than R$5 million was invested in the first 20 kilometers of the soybean road in Roda Velha, with a counterpart of R$3.5 million from the pro-ducers in the last phase," explains the president of Pro-deagro, Zanella. "The work is being done in a planned way, with defined projects and budgets. And we al-ready have a line waiting for the roads,” he points out. Also according to him, new funding needs to be made to make the construction of the Rio Grande Highway feasible, which is approximately 40 kilometers.
"Six years ago, we had a totally impassable road, with a difference of more than 1 meter in relation to the crops, where the water washed away all the soil. A giant quagmire of almost 40 kilometers. On this same road, 60 thousand hectares of production pass through, not only soybean, but corn, cotton seed and processed cotton, and also fertilizers and pesticides. It’s really a two-way highway. With the advent of the Mechanized Patrol, Prodeagro and the producers join-ing forces, we put gravel down and, for the first time, asphalt. We are very proud of this first and important asphalt road. What was just an idea, generated a new
concept. Let's trade this giant quagmire of 33 kilometers for an asphalted road of excellent quality, so we can take our production at the moment we need, regardless of the rains, and bring in what we need also at the neces-sary time. This way, we guarantee the maintenance of production and the continuity of the generation of jobs and income in a region that needs this so much,” says soybean and cotton producer César Busato. The geo-graphic isolation in the region of Coaceral, in Formosa do Rio Preto, was another problem that also needed to be solved. "It lacked an access that connected the re-gion to the soybean ring, going towards Luís Eduardo Magalhães. We built two bridges, one 25 meters over the Sapão River and another 30 meters over the Preto River, providing access for transport loads. The work still required an adjustment of the saw (saw cut), so that trucks could make it through. With these actions, we shorten the distance by 200 km. The highway projects were approved by the state government through the Infrastructure Secretary (Seinfra), and directly benefited more than 200 producers from the areas of Coaceral, Garganta and Estrondo,” details Aiba's Agribusiness ad-visor, Luiz Stahlke, anticipating that another 45 kilome-ters are scheduled for 2019.
In relation to the federal grid, the region is cut by Federal Highways BRs 242, 020, 153 and 349, which, in recent years, have been under constant maintenance by the National Department of Infrastructure and Transport (Dnit). "From the federalization of BA 030, we will have the integration of Cocos and Jaborandi, link-ing the North of Minas to Bahia; The continuity of BA 020 will shorten the distance to Fortaleza by 600 kilo-meters, an important destination for maize (due to the presence of large farms) and for the flow of milk pro-duction. An attraction also for companies to migrate to the region, bringing the producer closer to the consum-er,” concludes the president of Prodeagro, Celestino Zanella. "Maintenance of state highways has also been addressed, at least for the next five years. The acquisi-tion of external resources by the State Government, in the order of R$100 million, guaranteed the hiring of the service,” adds Stahlke.
INFRASTRUCTURE
"Soybean Highway" is the first road paved by Prodeagro
With more than seven thousand kilometers of roads in the West, it was necessary to set up a task force to unlock important infra-structure work and to enable the flow of grain and fiber produc-tion. The work is being conducted by the rural producers, through
class entities like Aiba and Abapa, in general, with part of the resource of the Agricultural Development Program (Prodeagro). In the last five years, more than 1,300 kilometers of back roads have been recovered in all mu-nicipalities in the region.
“We always complain about road conditions. We do not like the fact that we have to assume this role, it is not our function, but we must act, multiplying the resources sent to us by the State, which are still very little,” emphasizes the president of Aiba, Celestino Zanella. According to him, the participation of the farmers has been regular, but there is a low adhesion of the city halls to the Agricultural Development Program (Prodeagro), which finances works of this type.
For the 2018/2019 harvest, the Program will allocate a total of R$15 million for the development of in-frastructure, logistics and research actions, some already underway and others still to be implemented. A total of 21 projects will be con-templated. These works include the opening of new roads, construction and recovery of bridges and proj-ects such as the development of sesame crops, as an alternative to the succession of soybeans, in the winter (which is the responsibility of the Bahia Foundation) and the man-agement of corn diseases, among others.
"These resources are funds owed to the producer that are returned as a collective benefit and for the de-velopment of the region and of the crops. The first projects began to be put into operation in 2016, and we had great results. In addition to the focus on the infrastructure works, which involve the recovery and con-struction of roads and bridges, it is worth mentioning the construction of the Base for the Aero Group of the PM-Ba Graer - of the Military Police, to assist in the work of fight-ing fires, cargo thefts, and search-
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tial in quantity of water, facilitating the identification of the regions that are capable of using irrigation without which areas are expandable,” explains the coordinator.
It should be emphasized that the study includes the percentage inserted in the region, since Urucuia also has a great contribution with the rivers from Tocantins and Goiás. The survey of land use and occupation will also bring information regarding replacement, infiltration ca-pacity, priority areas for replacement, conservation.
Infiltration tests are being done to assess soil capac-ity and pumping in wells. A total of 1,900 soil samples were collected. "The tests aim to know the interference of the well in the lowering of the aquifer, conditioned at a distance; the maximum capacity and profile of the wells, allowing the analysis of water quality and adjust-ments of the normative instruction, once again subsi-dizing the State, since the measure was institutionalized without a broad knowledge of the region,” justifies the environmental analyst. According to her, the research benefits not only rural producers, but society in gener-al, because its goal is water security.” It directly benefits the irrigator who needs to be certain of availability and wants to irrigate safely. A high investment is made in the drilling of wells, with an estimated cost of R$1.5 mil-lion for each well. The non-irrigated area producer also already feels inserted in the project, from the work of awareness that is being done and the regional develop-ment as a whole, in addition to the possibility of expan-sion into the irrigated area. The reflection is global, not only in water security, but also in ensuring the market and a sustainable region,” he concludes.
ness and generating greater public interest, with rele-vance in the results.
As a product of this, important management tools have been developed, which can be used as a subsi-dy for the State in granting concessions, based on an in-depth analysis of the flow of the aquifer, avoiding overloaded stretches. Another important product developed was the digital system of land use and oc-cupation. With a historical survey of satellite images, showing the evolution and occupation in the region, in areas of legal reserve, Permanent Preservation Areas (APP), pasture, irrigated and degraded. "The proposal is to promote efficient and transparent management, since the tools can be made available on the site of the manager or accessed easily on the desktop," says Aiba environmental analyst and project coordinator, Glaucia Araújo. According to her, the first part of the study is in the final phase, which consists of prospect-ing the irrigated area in the region, with indication for new areas, expansion and limitations, expected to be concluded in April. Then a new phase will begin with more advanced and complementary studies.
RESEARCH
The projections of aquifer capacity and exploration are being simulated based on the mapping and survey of demands for expansion of the irrigated area. "Since Urucuia is not homogeneous and presents different dis-persion interfaces, 3D mapping allows for a better visual-ization of the difference in depth, in addition to the poten-
POTENCIAL HÍDRICOSEARCH
Study of Water Potentialexpands with new partnerships
To ensure water security in western Bahia and the sustainable growth of agribusiness, the Asso-ciation of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba) is coordinating an important project, the Study of
Water Potential of the Western Region of Bahia, which aims to quantify and monitor availability of the subter-ranean resources (aquifer Urucuia) and superficial (Cur-rente, Grande and Carinhanha river basins). The macro project also involves a third line of research to study the use and occupation of soil and carbon balance.
The study is funded by Prodeagro and developed by the federal universities of Viçosa (UFV) and Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in partnership with the University of Nebraska, in the United States, which enabled an exchange of informa-tion between researchers on the model of participatory management of water resources in the American state, similar to the water pact, adopted in Brazil. There is also the support of the government of Bahia, through the Secretaries of Agriculture (Seagri), Environment (Sema/
Inema) and Infra Hydraulic Structure and Sanitation (Sihs).In order to aggregate and enable the sharing of in-
formation, recently, new partnerships were formalized with the Mineral Resources Research Company (CPRM), linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy; and with the National Water Agency (ANA), which will be of great im-portance in the work of registering wells in the region.
"We still have 3 million hectares to work in the re-gion, so we need to study the water potential to mea-sure and have clear, truthful and uncontested infor-mation. The aquifer is like a box of water and there is no reason to let it overflow between one period of rain and another. We need to develop barring policies along the rivers in an efficient way,” says the president of Aiba Celestino Zanella.
Initially thought of as a continuous program of study and improvement, the work has aggregated dif-ferent sectors of society, making it possible to break paradigms regarding the productive form of agribusi-
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After the previous identifica-tion and diagnosis of the degraded areas, soil restoration measures are being adopted, such as total or partial fencing and repopulation of seedlings that improve water infil-tration and percolation. "This way, we avoid degradation due to cattle trampling, and the compromising of natural regeneration of veg-etation, favoring the increase of organic matter and we also avoid loss by erosive processes,” ex-plained the environmental analyst of Aiba, Enéas Porto. It is worth noting that the free access of an-imals in the areas of permanent preservation for drinking water, in addition to being harmful to the environment is prohibited by envi-ronmental legislation (Forest Code - Law 12.651/2012).
The legislation allows for the creation of limited spaces for live-stock, such as corridors, which must be maintained until complete restoration. The orientation is that there be no isolation of the area with wire and electrical fencing, and open fences should be used that allow the circulation of the fauna, excluding those of barbed wires, as they cause injuries to the animals.
The work focuses on the in-volvement of the whole commu-nity. "If the sense of belonging and zeal is not awakened in the popu-lation, not only with the spring, but with the entire surrounding area or borders of the basin, all of our efforts and investment will have been in vain", reinforces the Direc-tor of Environment of Aiba, Ales-sandra Chaves. "In order for this knowledge to be multiplied and applied effectively, we are invest-ing in leadership training to act as
multiplying agents," she concludes. Eight training sessions involving 160 people have been carried out so far and another four are sched-uled to take place by March 2019. According to Adolfo Andrade, who is responsible for the management of training and production of ma-terial, classes are prepared accord-ing to each case and involve theo-retical and practical knowledge of environmental education and soil management.
"Each spring has its own speci-fications and the recovery models adopted must be feasible for the
region. For the definition of seed-lings to be used, for example, we carried out a floristic survey, iden-tifying the most adapted species in areas of the Cerrado and transition biome (Caatinga and Cerrado),” adds the director of Environment of Aiba and coordinator of the project, Alessandra Chaves, who already celebrates the newest partnership with the State Univer-sity of Bahia (Uneb), to reactivate the nursery to produce native Cerrado seedlings and foster re-search, based on the involvement of teachers and students.
For the recovery of APPs, it is important to observe the following recommendations:• Isolation of the area and removal of degradation factors such as fire, cattle,
cultivation, water discharge, excess grasses;
• Use native species adapted to the region;
• Approximately 50% of forest species must be fast-growing (pioneer);
• To diversify the species to the maximum, using fruit and ornamental to attract the fauna;
• Procedures to replant the dead seedlings up to six months after initial planting;
• Perform maintenance cleaning of the seedlings (pruning), at least three times a year, during the first two years;
• Favor areas that form ecological corridors, interconnecting the forest fragments of the region.
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental project invests R$ 500thousand in the recovery of springs
An intense and valuable work of regeneration of springs began to be realized in the Valley region, in the Western part of the State, with focus on the preservation of water resources and the restoration of the ciliary vegetation. Enabled by means of a technical cooperation
agreement, among entities and agencies that work in agribusiness, the project raised more than R$ 500,000 in this first phase, for the recovery of 50 springs and swampy trails located in properties of up to 20 hectares or areas of public domain. The initiative is the result of a partnership be-tween Aiba, Abapa and municipal secretaries of agriculture, covering six municipalities: Barreiras (20 springs), Formosa (10 springs), Jaborandi (4 springs), Correntina (7 springs) and Wanderley (3 springs).
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possible to work multi-disciplinari-ly . In mathematics, for example, we can make the measurements of the beds,” he says.
The success of the actions is guaranteed not only by the school community's involvement with the project, but also by the par-ticipation of the rural producers who "adopt" the garden, financing the implementation costs and ac-companying the development of all stages of development, ranging from the preparation of the soil, planting, harvesting, up until the commercialization. This initiative is a partnership between the Munici-pality of Barreiras, the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba) and the Bahia Association of Cotton Producers (Abapa).
At the Boa Sorte School, one of the beneficiaries of the School Vegetable Garden project, there has been a yield of good results. "The interest is so much that I
highlights the transforming role of the project. "It's not just a tech-nical but a social look, a change of posture and behavior. The re-sult of the harvest is seen main-ly in the change of eating habits. Who takes care of plants, takes care of people, the environment and neighbor,” she says. It also announces that in 2019, the first community garden of Barreiras will be implanted in Residencial Boa Sorte, which brings together over 1,000 families. "This way we provide improvement in the nu-trition of the population in general and, especially, of the most needy communities," she concludes.
The work involves the munic-ipal secretariats of Agriculture, Technology Industry and Com-merce (Sematic); Environment and Tourism (Sematur); the Sec-retary of Education, Sports and Leisure and the Secretary of In-frastructure.
need to create a weekly schedule to make sure that everyone par-ticipates and acts in the garden. It is a kind of natural laboratory where students apply the knowl-edge acquired in the classroom about environmental education, healthy eating and even recycling of materials such as tires and plas-tic soda bottles, as well as bring-ing a legacy: better quality of food served at school," Lindinalva Lyra, professor of science at Boa Sorte School. The 8th year student, Ani-agre Pinheiro, confirms that the understanding of medicinal plants was facilitated with field lessons. "We put into practice what we have learned in class, the class-es are more fun. We also had the opportunity to plant trees in the schoolyard. Now it looks more beautiful and we can even play in the shade,” she celebrates.
The agronomist and project coordinator, Lucy Coelho Lopes,
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
In its second year of implementation, the School Vegetable Garden Project expands its activities and, with a thousand square meters of beds, already benefits more than five thousand students of the municipal public network of Barreiras, coming from 13 schools in rural and urban areas. The purpose is to integrate students, teachers, staff and agri-
culture. "The results were satisfactory and all the schools had two harvests. The production was added to the school's lunch and the surplus was sold,” says the secretary of Agriculture and Technology of Barreiras, José Marques Batista de Castro.
He recalls that the project was born in 2017, with an educational purpose to show the impact of the garden on behavioral change. "Since then, we have had very important re-ports, with good results and we hope to implement this work in more schools. It is im-portant to talk about the origin of food and the benefit of vegetables to human health. Replicating this at home is even more transformative. Within the school content it is also
Change of habits
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SOYBEAN
In soybean cultivation, the most disturbing disease is still Asian Rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi). After compliance with the sanitary void and the beginning of the planting date, even if in advance, producers must continue to monitor their cul-tivation and apply fungicides, with the use of at most two active prin-ciples, to avoid the appearance of Asian Rust. The state is on alert due to the heavy rains that favor the appearance of the fungus, and the presence of the first outbreaks of the disease in other states of the federation, such as Mato Grosso, Paraná and, recently, Goiás, which borders Bahia. It is worth mention-ing that the fungus is propagated by wind currents.
"Control efforts usually take place in January, but due to heavy rains we began in December. We are acting in a preventive way. Al-
though we have no sighting of the disease so far, we are on alert. We continue to visit the properties and mobilize the producers to collect leaves and send them to the lab-oratories of Adab, in Barreiras; or the Bahia Foundation in Luis Edu-ardo Magalhães", says the agron-omy engineer and coordinator of the phytosanitary program 'De Olho na Ferrugem’ (‘An Eye on Rust’), by Aiba, Armando Sá.
The educational program, with investment in research and rural extension, has 22 regional centers of activity, with the participation of leading producers, which total 1.6 million hectares of soybeans. In the last harvest, 99 disease outbreaks, totally controlled and without loss-es, were registered by the pro-gram. The control goes through three pillars: the sanitary void, the choice of the quality crops that are resistant to disease and the ap-
plication of chemical control with effective fungicides. "With the san-itary void, from July 1 to October 7 without soybeans in the field, we eliminate the green source (host), breaking the natural cycle of the fungus. Another important work is the establishment of voluntary plants (tigueras) that are born and are not from the culture. The timing or date of planting, which starts on October 7 and needs to be finalized by December 31, also needs to be respected, except for seed production, which is usually planted later,” says the expert.
CORN
Another approach that the Aiba Phytosanitary Program is taking is the monitoring of Cigar-rinha, which attacks corn fields, a crop that is being encouraged in the region. The pest causes the tipping or mismanagement of the >>
Phytosanitary programsreduce pest incidence in Western Bahia agriculture
With each harvest that begins, some pests that endanger productivity maintenance are more widespread in crops. As references in Brazil, the phytosanitary programs of western Bahia have been successful in their results, by adopting educational and efficient measures, guiding
the farmer to act at the right time, through the application of fungicide or the correct management of the soil. Data from Aiba and Abapa reveal that there is a considerable reduction in the impact of pests and diseases from the research and rural extension work developed.
PHYTOSANITARY
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mobilize producers, groups of dis-cussions are organized. “The idea is to think ahead of the problem, always trying to act in a preven-tive but not contentious way. It is worth mentioning that the beetle is an extremely resistant pest and reducing a large population is very difficult. The use of herbicides, as well as a good desiccation and a very strong pre-planting manage-ment, avoid volunteer plants and two blooming plants within the crop", evaluates cotton grower César Busato.
The Phytosanitary Program operates in 18 Regional Control Centers, distributed in cotton pro-ducing locations in the western (15) and southwestern Bahia (3), formed by 13 professionals who work in the monitoring, orienta-tion and mobilization of producers to prevent and combat diseases and pests. Among the actions that ensure the success of the Phy-tosanitary Program is the destruc-tion of clumps and cultural remains during the sanitary cleansing of cotton, determined by a state sani-tary law that begins on September 20 and runs until November 20. This program also promotes the orientation of the delivery drivers, alerts for ways of packaging the cotton and supports compliance with the ordinance of the Bahian Agency for Agricultural and Live-stock Defense (Adab), which deals with the transportation of bolls, seeds and kernels of fiber.
Beginning in 2019, a new man-agement and insecticide resis-tance plan will be implemented by Abapa, in partnership with uni-versities, to control the boll weevil and the lepdópteras (Helicoverpa, spodoptera and pink caterpillar).
PHYTOSANITARY
corn. "Each pest impact increases the cost of production and this may make it un-feasible. The crop has a high cost per hectare, the seed is expensive and needs high productivity. The market is also not very secure, like the soybean and cotton com-modity, and we need to stimulate crop rotation. It is up to the producer to control this pest, to use varieties resistant to the disease and to adopt a technological pack-age that reduces the incidence", emphasizes Sá. He also points out that the work is in the initial phase of field survey, monitoring, to identify where the plague is, what the fluctuation is and if it is causing damage. Rotation of crop is extremely important to break the cycle of diseases of plants and soil, nematodes.
The management team of the Soybean Phytosanitary Program in the West of Bahia is made up of technicians from Aiba, Abapa, Bahia Foundation, Luís Eduardo Magalhães and Barreiras Rural Producers’ Union, and the Bahia State Soybean and Maize Producers Association (Aprosoja Ba).
COTTON
Abapa's Phytosanitary Program, which has existed for more than 15 years, was exclusively aimed at combating the cotton boll weevil but with the advent of other crops that succeed cotton, it was necessary to readjust the project, expanding its action to other crop pests. The program also paid special attention to the attacks of caterpillars such as, Helicoverpa Spp, Spodoptera, Trichoplusia, White Fly, Bedbugs and Mites.
As the second largest national cotton producer, with 263,000 hectares of planted area in the last harvest, Bahia has suffered productivity losses associated with the presence of nematodes. These parasites attack the roots of plants and impair the absorption of water and nutrients. It is common for producers to ignore the pres-ence of these parasites in their crops because the symptoms of the affected plant are confused with nutritional deficiencies, soil compaction or soaking. It is estimated that these microscopic soil worms cause 12% the worlds production loss in agricul-ture. National agribusiness accounts for losses of about R$35 billion annually with the parasite, according to data from the Brazilian Society of Nematology (SBN).
The Phytosanitary Program is one of the main pillars of action, Bahia is a ref-erence in monitoring the beetle. In the last harvest, cotton producers reached an average productivity of 322 arrobas per hectare, a record mark in the region. In addition to the regularity of rainfall, the results can also be credited to the Phytosan-itary Program.
Still in relation to the main pest of cotton, there was a significant reduction in the amount of insecticides in the field, contributing to the environment, combined with high yields and higher profitability. "The number of applications to control Bicudo has dropped by almost 50% from 30 to 16 in the last four years. In the last few sea-sons, we also had no losses because of the pest, only punctual situations. This is due to good management and control practices,” says Antônio Carlos Araújo, the coor-dinator of Abapa's Phytosanitary Program. In the 1980s, the pest decimated some 4 million hectares of cotton and has since been a constant concern in the cotton production chain.
The cotton beetle is a collective pest and isolated, disorderly, or limited-range actions are not enough to combat it. Integrated and harmonic actions are required. In order to align pest control measures, technologies to be adopted on farms and to
PHYTOSANITARY
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SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
THE FUND
The results come from rural credit operations of costing and in-vestment of the associate produc-ers of Aiba with the BNB, which directs the bank fees for the Fund. Individuals, legal entities and coop-eratives also make donations. All processes of transfer of the dona-tions and execution of the projects
of health professionals in different specialties, we have been able to attend an average of 500 people per month," says coordinator Lina Kawano. Among the investments in infrastructure are the construc-tion of a physiotherapy room; a fully equipped dental office; a multipurpose space for acupunc-ture, children's evangelization, psychological care and study. The participation in different edicts still guaranteed the construction of a kitchen and bathrooms, as well as reforms of medical offices for care in the following areas: gastro, gen-eral practitioner, pediatrics, gyne-cology and prenatal.
is accompanied by the coordina-tion of Fundesis to guarantee the proper use of the resources and the expected results.
"We do not just want to invest the resource, but ensure that there is, in fact, a social transformation and improvement of the services provided to the population. The guarantee of success lies in the differentiated programming of the courses, based on the needs of each institution and the training of managers, a priority for the next editions", says Fundesis coordina-tor Makena Thomé. According to her, from the evaluative work of monitoring and measuring results, it was possible to perceive an evo-lution in the manager's knowledge, in the resolution of the problems, as well as in the social protagonism. "Through the partnership with Se-brae, we offer support and capacity building to institutions to manage resources, prepare accountability, disseminate knowledge about in-ventory, leadership," he says.
Spiritist Center, André Luiz, in Barreiras, which has become a ref-erence in family health, “Thanks to the Fund and the volunteer work
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
Fundesis allocates R$ 1.2 million to social projects
The last announcement of the Fund for the Integrated and Sus-tainable Development of Bahia (Fundesis) recorded a historical contribution of R$1.2 million for investment in social projects ranging from infrastructure improvement, purchase of equip-
ment and expansion of free service to the population to the acquisi-tion of new venues, clinical centers, digital rooms, dentistry, shelters for the elderly and nursery. In this new phase, 40 projects are selected, chosen by the Fund's deliberative council, based on criteria such as relevance, project sustainability, transformative potential and whose institution has a minimum of three years of legal action and activity.
The institutions, which applied between August 13 to October 1, 2018, will each receive an amount of up to R$80,000 for projects in the areas of education, social and digital inclusion, culture, preven-tive health, income generation and entrepreneurship, environmental preservation and education, phytosanitary protection and sustainable agriculture. In its 12 years of existence, Fundesis has been working on the socioeconomic growth of the West of the State and has already allocated about R$3.5 million in seven official orders to 100 projects of more than 50 institutions in 14 municipalities in the region.
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ing a profession and developing a career in a rural enterprise.
“Although the young appren-tice spends 10 months in vocational training to become an agricultural supervisor, there are no statistics on graduates. However, we are sure that this time spent at the Model Farm awakens the vocation of young people to exercise their profession in the field. Of the total of 463 young apprentices who have been trained since 2013, we have reports from rural producers and HR managers indicating hiring in the area of pest monitoring, field supervision and even farm man-agement. Many seek higher educa-tion in the area of agrarian science and others become entrepreneurs, using their knowledge to leverage the business of the family,” he says.
The program, according to him, goes far beyond technical and vocational training. "It is a broad
education project that reinforces public employment and income policies, promotes integration into the work world and makes the fu-ture of this new generation more promising. The rural producer, aside from fulfilling his social func-tion, contributes to the formation of a professional more capable of the current demands in the labor market. More than a legal obliga-tion, learning is an action of social responsibility and an important factor in promoting citizenship, as it improves professional knowl-edge and productivity in the rural area,” he says.
The project offers tech-nical-professional training, in 10-month modules, in soybean, corn and cotton crops, applying a field methodology, unique in the country, that simulates the con-ventional operation on the farm in a controlled environment. In addi-
tion to complying with legislation, the program offers young people an opportunity to access knowl-edge, to learn a profession and to develop their career in a rural en-terprise.
Model Farm is located in the Northern Barreiras Irrigation Proj-ect, 12 kilometers from Barreiras, and has undergone extensive ren-ovation recently, increasing and improving its level of service. The structure has an auditorium with a capacity of 90 people, classrooms, computer and phytosanitary lab-oratories and crops. For the prac-tical classes, the farm has an area of 7.2 hectares, with 6.2 hectares irrigated by sprinkling, dripping or micro sprinkler.
Responsible for the formula-tion and application of pedagog-ical content, Senar is a very im-portant partner in the qualification of these young people. "We adapt
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
>>
Model Farm expands facilities and number of training seminars
With a certain advantage in the search for their first job, young rural apprentices are being absorbed by the regional labor market and expanded in agriculture's culture in the com-
munities. The work of training and professional refer-ral is carried out at the Paulo Mizote Model Farm, an initiative of the Aiba Institute (Iaiba), in partnership with the Barreiras Rural Producers' Union (SPRB) and Senar/Faeb, Codevasf, Abapa, Aiba and the City Hall of Barreiras. In just five years, the institution trained a total of 469 young people, between the ages of 18 and 24 years old, in the agricultural supervision course. In 2018 alone, there were 110 graduates.
The demand came from producers in 2013, in com-pliance with Apprenticeship Law 10.097/2000, ampli-fied by Federal Decree 5.598/2005, which requires that any company, be it industry or rural property, hire a number of apprentices, equivalent to a mini-mum of 5% and a maximum of 15% of its staff, whose functions require professional training.
According to the Superintendent of the Aiba In-stitute, Helmuth Kiecköfer, the Young Apprentice in Rural Areas, in the controlled environment of Mod-el Farm, offers vulnerable and low-income youth the opportunity for their first job and of becoming "com-plete citizens”, providing access to knowledge, learn-
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
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The Complex is equipped with an industrial kitchen, to attend the higher education institutions, from the private and public network, for example, Uneb, Ufob, Fasb and Unirb Universities, who offer a course of study in nutrition.” A variety of recipes are being devel-oped by the students, using agri-cultural products as ingredients, such as soybean and banana. The purpose is, among other things, to encourage the reuse and full use of naturally enriched foods, using them for nutritional replacement of young people for snacks. They make bread and cookies coated with soybeans (20%) and banana biomass ice cream,” explains Val-mir Júnior.
The Complex has a broad sup-port of the producers, through Iai-ba, in addition to the partnership with the Bank of Brasil Foundation and Ufob (Federal University of Western Bahia), which contributed to making this moment a reality. It
is worth mentioning that the facil-ities were equipped in partnership with Abapa and used for training of family farmers and training of nutrition students in the food area. Integration with fruit producers was possible through the support of the Association of Northern Barreiras Producers (Aproban).
The selection for the Young Ap-prentice in the Rural Environment project is annual and privileges young people who are in a situ-ation of social vulnerability. "The young apprentice is not a student, he is a rural employee. Those en-rolled have a formal contract, re-ceive a scholarship grant and have food and transportation provided,” says Valmir Júnior.
THE INSTITUTE
When a group of farmers founded the Association of Farm-ers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba) 28 years ago, they never imagined
that the unfolding of its actions, in the technical, political, economic and social spheres, could lead to the creation of the Institute, which today is the strong arm of social responsibility in western Bahia. On September 29, 2018, Iaiba completed four years of existence, and its commitment is reaffirmed by its managers. "We were consti-tuted to promote education and professional qualification, to align socio-environmental issues with the growth process, to dissemi-nate and incorporate the concept of sustainability, to fight against poverty and to demonstrate that agriculture is at the service of the well-being of society", emphasiz-es the superintendent of the Insti-tute, Helmuth Kiecköfer. "We want to be recognized in the Matopiba region for the transformational actions in the construction of an environmentally correct, socially just and economically viable soci-ety," he concludes.
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
the modules every year to meet the demand of farmers for in-creasingly prepared professionals. We broadened the approach to all cultures, focused on issues of great relevance such as occupational safety (present in 13 of the 19 mod-ules) and labor legislation. Taking into account that the agriculture of the West, as a whole, is very technological, we implemented a laboratory equipped with 26 com-puters with basic computer class-es, and we created a new discipline of Introduction to Precision Agri-culture, where they learn, among other things, how to operate ma-chinery”, details the monitor of the Senar Young Apprentice Program, Sunny Aron.
"I am very grateful to the pro-fessors and to those who keep this project inclusive. It’s a unique experience that opened doors for me. I developed profession-ally, and today my work is rec-ognized by other people. Each learning experience, each practi-cal and theoretical class was very important so that I could acquire the right knowledge and be able to apply it to my work. The Farm is extremely important not only in my life, but in that of many young people, because in addition to pre-paring for an increasingly demand-ing market, it also prepares us for self-knowledge. My wish is that this work would be perpetuated and extended,” says former young apprentice and current contractor of the traditional Xingu agricultural farm, Bruno Cruz.
LABORATORY
Another laboratory of en-tomology and phytopathology,
which works on the Model Farm and serves as support for the re-gional phytosanitary program, is also used by young apprentices to broaden their knowledge, fo-cusing on the identification and monitoring of pests and plant dis-eases. “The fully equipped space also allows for the development of research and academic activi-ties, starting with analysis samples sent to agronomy universities in the region. The main pests and diseases that affect soybean, corn and cotton crops are created in the laboratory with artificial diets, with examples of the three types of spodoptera: helicoverpa, bicu-do and bedbugs", describes Iai-ba’s production supervisor, Valmir Júnior. The structure was support-ed by Prodeagro and Fundeagro.
Yasmin Maiane Bezerra, 20, started at the Model Farm as a young apprentice and today coor-dinates the entomology and phy-topathology laboratory of the in-
stitution. "From the experience of learning at the Farm, I felt the need to deepen my studies, so I trained in agricultural techniques and joined the College of Agronomic Engineering. Now, employed, I'm sure that I'm on the right track. I never imagined that I could be at the forefront of such an import-ant and responsible job, still a stu-dent, and already assisting college students and technical schools in handling insects. I consider myself an eternal apprentice and want to evolve in the profession. Despite the academic experience, I see myself working in the field, in the future,” anticipates Yasmin.
COMPLEX
The Farm also houses the Food Research and Processing Com-plex, with a research center for the development of processed foods, with safety and preserving the identity of regional products.
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
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In order to meet the growing mar-ket demand for sustainable prod-ucts, enforce current legislation and promote greater efficiency
in soybean production, the Soy Plus Program promotes a transparent and participatory management of farms, among other things. The pur-pose is to train the rural producer, free of charge, with the distribution of materials, promotion of courses on health and safety at work, adap-tation of rural constructions, envi-ronmental regularization, field days and technical visits to monitor per-formance indicators.
In Bahia, an important oil pro-ducing hub, the program is co-ordinated by Aiba. "This year we expanded our performance. In ad-dition to the orientation and train-ing work, aimed at farmers and rural workers, the technical visits started to count on water collec-tion, for potability analysis, as well as a survey of the agro-meteo-rological stations present on the farms, in order to register", empha-sizes the coordinator of Soy Plus Bahia and environmental analyst of Aiba, Samuel Leite. It is worth men-tioning that Bahia occupies the 6th position in the national ranking of soybean production, with a planted area of 1,600 hectares, between the dry and irrigated crops.
The actions are implemented in close partnership with rural pro-ducers, state and municipal gov-ernments, civil society, industry and commerce, research institutions, education and extension. The re-sults achieved are the conservation of natural resources, the governance of productive activities and the social well-being of workers, rural produc-ers and local communities.
SOYBEAN PLUS
BAHIA
In order to guarantee the necessary ad-justments in the environmental, labor and social areas, in each of the properties, in 2018, the team ran a total of 51 properties, 30 new units, covering an area of 105,000 hectares of soy. "At the time, signage boards, rural construction manuals, technical videos, doc-umentation control files and a first aid box were delivered at no cost to the farmer. Elev-en publications were produced and 17 events were held, including Field Days, community meetings and a series of training courses on health and safety at work, construction ade-quacy and new work code. The grading, first aid and fire fighting courses involved 102 par-ticipants. 50 analyses of potability were also carried out,” the coordinator said. In three years, Soy Plus Bahia assisted 210 farmers and trained 612 people in the region.
They are evaluated by the team, sectors and important items such as: socio-envi-ronmental; employment contract; health management; workplace; environment and waste; prevention of accidents and rural con-structions. Periodic visits will be maintained and the expectation is that a primer on waste management (solids and effluents) will be launched in the first quarter of 2019, which is already in the process of being finalized.
LEVELS OF CONFORMITY
Socio-environmental
Employment Contract
Health management
Work environment
Environment and waste
Accident prevention
Rural constructions
70%
79%
65%
64%
81%
76%
69%
83%
92%
84%
82%
83%
80%
72%
81%
83%
84%
80%
83%
74%
68%
83%
85%
83%
82%
85%
75%
70%
ITEM / YEAR 2015 2016 2017 2018
SOYBEAN PLUS
Soy Plus expands in the State
Conservation of natural resources and social welfare are priorities of the program
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CULTURES
>>
CULTURES
Soybean crop registersnew record of productivity and moves state economy
The growth of the sectors involved with soybeans, in terms of investments in tech-nologies, new agricultural areas and grain processing and oil refining industries, has promoted positive results not only in operated volumes but also in employ-ment and income generation. The region is one of the fastest growing and boosts
the development of the state economy. In the 24 municipalities, 34.2% of Bahia's agri-cultural and livestock GDP is concentrated, which represents more than a third of all the wealth produced by the sector in the state.
High quality seed production plays a large role in the results
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SUCCESS STORY
The story of the Gatto family is similar to that of many who left different regions of Brazil to go to the Bahian cerrado in search of possibilities of economic, so-cial and cultural growth, that were not available in their native cities. "In 1980, Amélio Gatto and his six children left Rio Grande do Sul, headed to western Bahia, where they acquired an area in the mu-nicipality of Barreiras, what is now the Placas region. There, the chil-dren began the agricultural activi-ties, while Amelio returned to the south, where part of the family stayed and, from there, he gave the necessary support. As things went well in Bahia, Amelio and his wife, Eulalia reunited with their children, moving permanently to western Bahia in January 1998,” narrates one of the heirs.
"It was very hard work to make these lands suitable for large-scale cultivation, as we were 176 kilome-ters from the city center and the logistics for purchasing necessary items was very complicated. If we
still have infrastructure problems today, imagine how it was back then. We were branded as crazy because we wagered a lot on the region. We started with an area of 2,500 hectares and the first rice plantation (1981) proved that it was a privileged area for rainfall and, consequently, for the cultivation of soybeans that we implemented the following year. After 17 years, we founded the Sementes Oilema and the whole family was moved to the region to manage the busi-ness", reports producer and busi-nessman Daniel Gato.
He still remembers that the first seeds were produced for their own use. Soon after, they were shared with neighbors and friends and, after organizing the produc-tion, conducting researches and tests, exchanging information and experiences, the business gained it’s current dimension. The high standard of seeds is defined by good planting behavior and by the quality of germination at harvest. "The production of seeds deserves important care, from planting to harvesting. To ensure good quality,
we work the fields in the best way, without the interference of con-taminations by tiguera, in addition to the adequate preparation of the crop. The whole process is done on the property: pre-cleaning, dry-ing within the standards, cooling and storage, up to the entrance in the beneficiation line, with spiral passage, densimetric table, siev-ing, cooling again and, finally, bag-ging", explains the producer.
The production of soybeans (grains) is destined to tradings in the region, such as Bunge, Cargill and ADM of Brasil. Corn already supplies the market in Bahia and other Northeastern states. For the seeds, the commercialization serves Bahia, Mato Grosso, Mara-nhão, Piaui and Paraná.
POTENTIAL
Bahia is an important soybean producer, occupying the 6th posi-tion in the national ranking, with an area of 1,600 hectares, in 2018, be-tween non-irrigated and irrigated crops. Since 2001, soy ranks 2nd in the ranking of the main agricultur-al products produced in the State. In the Western region, the product occupies more than 65% of the to-tal cultivated area, with 58% of the Northeast's production. Soybeans move the economy by selling 40% of the soy in natura to industries in the region and exporting 60% of production to countries such as China and the Netherlands.
Production is concentrated in the municipalities of Barreiras, Luís Eduardo Magalhães, São Desider-io, Formosa do Rio Preto, Corren-tina, Riachão das Neves, Jaboran-di, Cocos, Baianópolis and Serra do Ramalho.
CULTURES
In the 2017/18 harvest, the soy-bean crop recorded a record of planted area and productivity of 1.6 million hectares and 66 sacks per hectare, respectively. The produc-tion was 6.3 million tons of oilseed, which represents a 15% increase over the previous one. Data from Aiba show that, in agriculture alone, the gross income generated by soybeans was approximately R$6.5 billion. The agricultural en-gineer and agribusiness advisor of the Association of Farmers and Irri-gators of Bahia (Aiba), Luiz Stahlke, reveals that the best harvest ever recorded in the region had been between 2010 and 2011, when 56 bags per hectare were harvested.
"The results are due to the farmer's investment in technology,
modern machinery, genetic im-provement of seeds and increased fertility of soils," says Stahlke.
Also, other determining factors were the favorable climate, with
well distributed rainfall (from Octo-ber to March); the flat topography and the presence of an extensive hydrographic basin with perennial rivers in the Urucuia aquifer, mak-ing irrigation possible. For the next harvest (2018/2019) it is estimated that the production will be slightly lower than 6.2 million tons.
The planting has already start-ed in the region, and producer Daniel Gatto has allocated an area of 14,500 hectares for soybean cultivation and 17,000 hectares for the next harvest (2018/2019) rotations. "In the 2017/2018 har-vest, we obtained a 10% increase, with a productivity of 76.5 sacks per hectare of soybeans and a production of 1.102 million sacks of grain and 800 thousand sacks of commercialized seeds. Already the corn yield has reached 176 sacks per hectare,” he celebrates. According to him, the climate was very favorable and with little inci-dence of pests.” We did not have adverse periods, with prolonged summertime drought or rainy season drought. We had a good balance of sunlight,” he describes.
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Production in the region is polar-ized by the municipalities of Cor-rentina, Jaborandi, Luís Eduardo Magalhães and São Desidério, be-ing encircled in the last agricultur-al frontier of the country, that is, in the Matopiba complex, so named for being at the confluence of the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Pi-auí and Bahia, totaling around 57.7 million hectares. The region does not cover all of the four states, being constituted by the South of Maranhão, East of Tocantins, South of Piauí and West of Bahia.
In areas irrigated by central pivots, farmers in the West plant the carioca beans (Pérola), which occupied an area of about 10 thou-sand hectares with an average production of 50 bags/ha. In the
non-irrigated areas, the variety used as a choice of safrinha and crop rotation, because it is prof-itable and low cost, beans of the Gurutuba type, commonly known as green beans, cowpeas or string beans. The legume is planted mainly after soybeans. According to Aiba's agribusiness adviser, Luiz Stahlke, the area planted with the grain in this harvest was 40,000 hectares, with an average yield of 20 sacks per hectare. Bahia is the fifth largest national producer and the largest in the Northeast, with 281.6 thousand tons of beans. The West alone is responsible for 78 thousand tons of grain.
At Irineu Viccini's farm in Bar-reiras, beans have a prominent place in the irrigated and non-ir-
rigated areas, but the climate has not helped, which discourages the producer. "In 2018, we lost the first crop, at the beginning of the year, due to heavy rains. Of the 25 thou-sand sacks produced on the farm, more than 70% had to be used for animal feed. We are already collecting the 2019 harvest (Jan-uary) and the race is against the weather before the now dry cli-mate will compromise the quality of the grains. Despite the adver-sities, the crop adapts well to the region and we produce the best beans, with different color and size. The price is also reasonable,” says Viccini.
It is a very small market, re-stricted and conditioned to the law of supply and demand for
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Bean growers wanthigher profitability
An indispensable ingredient in Brazilian cuisine, beans are the main source of vegetable protein and energy, with a low fat content. But until it reaches the consumer's table, the grain makes the difference in the field, generating em-ployment and income and making Brazil the second largest supplier of food in
the world. The national production of beans was approximately 3.4 million tons, the same vol-
ume of the previous crop, in a total area of 3.24 million hectares, an increase of 2% over the last year’s crop (or 64 thousand hectares) (CONAB, 2018).
The West of Bahia, a reference in large-scale production and applied technology, also stands out in the production of grain. It is one of the few locations where it is pos-sible to expand the area without the further felling of forests, thanks to the recovery of degraded pastures and the greater integration of farming and livestock systems.
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soil preparation, weed control, diseases and pests, irrigation, har-vesting, sorting and packaging.
In order to obtain good quality of the beans, in the harvesting and mechanized systems, it is neces-sary to plan and use the equip-ment correctly. A good harvest depends, among other factors, on the state of conservation of the machines, knowledge of their
resources and their regulation, cropping conditions, bean growth habit and good soil preparation.
Of the production stages, har-vesting is one of the most import-ant and, when poorly carried out, can lead to loss of grain, breaking of machines or mechanical dam-age, and lead to darkening or "barreling" of the grains, thus in-terfering decisively with the qual-
ity of the product and its com-mercial value. The Pérola variety, which stands out for having high productivity and for being widely accepted in the market, is a plant of indeterminate growth, that is, at the time of harvest, you can find on the same plant dry pods, pods at the ideal point and green pods. This makes harvesting a complex process.
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pricing. In 2016, a sac of carioca beans cost up to R$600.00 because of the low supply of the product. In November 2018, it was deval-ued, to R$90.00 and, in January 2019, the same product is costing R$240.00, a value considered very good by producers. The produce is sold in the free markets of the domestic market and also goes to other states, such as Ceará and Pernambuco.
"We have beans all year, in three harvests. Carioquinha (carioca bean) is still the most accepted in the market and is a great price. The problem is that, at the moment, we do not have the crop. It does not produce very well in the dry season and we usually plant it in irrigated areas between May and June, harvesting from August to September. The other varieties, also resistant, also have a 90-day cycle and are planted in November, with harvest scheduled for January,” explains producer Irineu Viccini. The farmer has been a pioneer in the cultivation of grain in the region since 1992 and has allocated 900 hectares (30% of his property) for the three variet-ies: Gurutuba or string beans (with a yield of 25 sacks per hectare), black-eyed peas (30 sacks per hectare) and Carioca or pinto beans (50 sacks per hectare).
Aiba's vice president, Luiz Antônio Pradella, confirms that ap-preciation of prices has l itt le effect on farmers' incomes. "To get a better price, producers are stocking the beans. Despite the wide production possibil it ies, the commercial and nutrit ional value of beans depreciated rapidly after harvest, losing its quality after two months of storage. Hence the need for producers to also in-vest in air-conditioned sheds, which act as a sort of cold room for this bean to maintain quality for a longer period, reaching a new price trend, but also increasing farm costs,” Pradella explains. The irrigators had better results, but also higher costs. Under the pivot, it produces up to 55 sacks per hectare, but the variable cost rises to R$5,676.43 per hectare.
Aiba suggests that there is a safe investment in less impacting and yet sustainable activities, from the point of view of crop rota-tion, especially in the irrigated area, with green manure. "Beans are another possibility to work with, but the crop is quite ungrateful to the producer, with high and low prices in very short periods. Wheth-er by the volume, which impacts directly, or by the short life span of the food. The fact is that often the producers can not enjoy these good moments and end up selling well below average. What we ad-vise is that there is not a very large destination of the area, reducing the risks,” warns Pradella.
There is still a vast field to be explored with the crop in the re-gion. "Possibly, the adoption of new technologies, greater efficiency in the management of the productive system and greater capillarity with the market, will allow producers not only to achieve greater profitability, but also to experiment, taking into account the prin-ciples of sustainability, that suggests socioeconomic and environ-mental equilibrium", evaluates the farmer, Viccini.
MANAGEMENT
Because it is a crop that is high-ly dependent on nutrients and water, and susceptible to pest and disease attacks, all factors of pro-duction must be carefully consid-ered by the producer. Good man-agement practices need to involve the different stages of production, ranging from the choice of culti-vars, sowing, liming, fertilization,
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Pleasant taste, with excellent sweetness, good acid-ity and a slightly fruity and floral aroma.
This is the differential of the Arabica coffee pro-duced in the Western region of Bahia and appreci-
ated in such a demanding international market. The unal-tered qualities of the product are guaranteed depending on the dry climate, during harvesting, avoiding undesir-able fermentations. In addition to the natural conditions of this coffee region, the producers invigorated the produc-tion process through the investment in technology, allow-
ing for the greatest coffee productivities of Brazil.To boost the sector, the region counts on the
performance of the most important suppliers of machines and necessary supplies; financial agents; large exporters, stimulated by the presence of the port of Salvador, 900 km away; along with the organization sector through important organiza-tions such as Aiba and the Association of Coffee Growers of Western Bahia, among other entities.
In the 2017/2018 harvest, production of the Cerrado reached 530,000 benefited sacks, in an area of 11,500 hectares, with an average yield of 49 sacks per hectare. The president of Abacafé, José do Espirito Santo, points out that although the total area remains around 11.5 thousand hect-ares, the area actually in production has been re-duced to 10.7 thousand. "The drought, in recent years, has led to a readjustment in the planning of processing industries in the long run. To meet the market, we had to eradicate a few of the cof-fee plants,” explains "Zé do Café”, who is also a producer.
The forecast for the 2018/2019 harvest is a slightly lower production of 400 thousand sacks. According to him, it is a normal condition for the crop, the biennial, larger production one year and a smaller one the next year. The production of the region is polarized by the municipalities of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Barreiras, São De-sidério, Cocos and Jaborandi, which combined bring together 27 producers.
The practice of sustainable coffee growing makes coffee in the West even more competi-tive in demanding markets. The main destina-tion is the international market (90%), more precisely countries like Germany and the USA. The product already leaves benefited from the farms and the general warehouses, destined for the main tradings of the region. A good quality guarantees a paid value of R$500 per sack, gen-erating an annual income of R$265 million. De-spite high mechanization, employability in coffee plantations reaches an average of six people per 100 hectares throughout the year. "The social aspects, which involve the employees, are ful-filled adequately, promoting health and safety at work, in parallel with the appreciation of human well-being," emphasizes the producer. >>
Cerrado fine coffee is exportedto Germany and the USA
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and April. In the dry period, com-pensation occurs through irrigation, which has a great availability of un-derground water or surface water, of one of the largest aquifers in Bra-zil, Urucuia. This dry period gener-ates a great contribution to the har-vest and post-harvest operations, since it does not have rainfall. These conditions, together with the busi-ness profile of coffee growers from traditional coffee growing regions in Brazil, make it possible to create a new found scenario.
BAHIA
The growth of coffee production in the state of Bahia has created sev-eral investment opportunities. The spatial distribution of the activity occurs in three poles of production: Planalto, Cerrado and Atlântico - characterized by cultivating distinct species, demonstrating differentiat-ed technological levels and produc-ing various types of beverages.
Data from the State Depart-ment of Agriculture (Seagri) show that Bahia's coffee industry demon-strates excellent competitive ad-vantages for the conquest of more demanding markets, especially in the production of specialty coffees, increasingly sought throughout the world, thus consolidating the mar-ket for specialty coffees.
The Bahian industry has the potential to work with blends for the most demanding consumer markets, supplying them with local raw materials. In Bahia, the activity presents a generation of approxi-mately 250 thousand jobs through-out the coffee agribusiness produc-tion chain, with a production of over 2 million bags.
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SUSTAINABILITY
The social and environmental aspects maintain standards of ad-justments according to Brazilian legislation and recommendations of several international certifica-tions, especially Utz Certified. In this way it is possible to align productiv-ity and sustainability.
"This dynamic and modern pro-duction is allied to environmental preservation and monitoring. The productive areas are integrated to the areas of environmental preser-vation, maintaining the local flora and fauna. Areas of Legal Reserve and Permanent Preservation are respected at the farms, along with the constant monitoring of the use of water by the competent environ-mental agencies,” he concludes.
POTENTIAL
The natural conditions of the region are important in all the fac-tors favorable to coffee cultivation in the Cerrado. The flat topogra-phy allows mechanization in all the productive stages. The risk of frost, which scares coffee growers from other states, is non-existent, and the brightness is constant through-out the year. Well defined rainfall seasons, with no occurrence in the harvest period, is another positive point attracting investors from all over the world.
Coffee is produced under con-ditions of average temperatures ranging between 22 and 26º C., with no risk of frost, nor interruptions in the development of coffee during the year due to the little variation in temperature. The average rain-fall of about 1,600 mm is distributed between the months of October
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productivity, preventing it from being unprotected. My expectation is to increase the yield of the next crop, which in this case is soybeans, by five bags per hectare, corresponding to an increase of 300 kg per hectare in productivity", estimates the producer, whose farm has a modern integrated management operational system, capable of producing good weekly results.
"With this tool, we have real knowledge about pro-ductivity, as well as the cost and value paid by each crop, in real time," he explains. "In the irrigated area, as well as in the non-irrigated area, the work of rotation, the use of adapted technologies and varieties is of ut-most importance. With efficient management, we were able to make it possible to plant soybean in more pro-ductive times", he concludes.
The expert and professor of Agronomy at Uneb (Barreiras campus), Danilo Gusmão, agrees that the producer is on the right path. According to him, resis-tance to drought, higher in millet compared to sorghum, greatly increases the area of aptitude in the region, and production costs are also 70% lower relative to corn,
involving nutrition and pest control. "Post-harvest use of soybeans may further reduce costs, compared to a sin-gle summer crop. However, in agronomic terms crop ro-tation will always be recommended. In the region, there is a frequent repetition of soybean crop over the years. Therefore, the introduction of millet and sorghum can bring several advantages, especially when these crops are allied to non tilling techniques,” he emphasizes.
Crops have an immense potential for accumulation of vegetable mass for mulching, with good nutrient re-cycling. "The production of sorghum has greater poten-tial than corn. Millet accumulates less mass, but in con-ditions with a deficit of water and low fertility, sorghum and millet have advantages,” he concludes.
THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
There are many soil conservation practices, which are less and less impacting on the environment, favor-ing biota and giving greater productivity in situations such as facing the summer or inclement weather. There
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Sorghum and millet arealternatives in the production of animal fodder and silage
Producers in western Bahia are investing in the use of short-cycle annual forages, such as millet and sorghum, as alternatives in the dry season, silage production or the incorporation of ar-eas used for agriculture that could be idle to the productive process . In addition to use on the property, the growing demand of the processing industries for new food alternatives, animal
and human, also encourage the production of grains.For farmers who do not want to risk planting corn, a more climate-sensitive crop, sorghum
has been a great choice. The problem is that the price paid this year is not pleasing and there are people exchanging sorghum for millet, a cover crop for soil protection, whose grain has good marketing potential that is also much sought after by the industry. A 60 kg bag of sorghum prices for R$26.00 while that of millet is R$31.00, with prices that are always below that of maize. On the other hand, the lower cost of production of these crops may result in a positive financial balance of the crops. There are many benefits of planting ground cover crops, in terms of high productiv-ity, in dry and irrigated areas, as well as pest resistance and adverse conditions. On the property of Jarbas Bergamaschi, in the municipality of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, with a commercial area of soybean and corn, sorghum and wheat used to be planted as the second succession crop. "It was the first time we invested in millet, in a fully irrigated area, for ground cover and increased
Low cost of production, high strength and productivity are some of the advantages
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sult is a healthier and higher yielding crop. This is good for the producer and even better for the environ-ment,” he adds.
It is a practice accessible to all who want it. “The greatest invest-ment is in knowledge and in the breaking of paradigms. You need to fall in love a bit because the operat-ing is a bit more difficult compared to the clean soil. The benefits that the straw brings more than makes up for the challenge of the process,” advises Pradella.
PHYTOSANITARY
Research from Embrapa reveals that millet has several benefits, in-cluding nutrient recycling and the control and reduction of the soil's pest population, especially the nem-atode. "Every rotation of crops brings advantages, but when it comes to millet, nematode control is a great advantage, because it is a plant with a low reproductive factor of these mi-croorganisms,” says Uneb research-er and expert, Danilo Gusmão.
According to him, the yield of sorghum and millet is lower than that of corn, but the lower cost and market opportunities in the region,
which need to verticalize the pro-duction of grains in animal products, can be compensating. Regarding the potential for regrowth, he clari-fies: "For grain production only one cut is made. For fodder, production can yield up to three cuts. Normally, silage is prepared with the first and second cuts (the second gives 50% of the first) and the third one is for direct grazing", points out the expert in animal nutrition, zoo technician and professor of Veterinary Medi-cine at Uneb, Danilo Gusmão.
LIVESTOCK INTEGRATION
An alternative to degraded areas for pasture are the integrated sys-tems between agriculture and live-stock, which have been proposed as a way to establish more sustainable production, enabling the mainte-nance of livestock in areas already consolidated and reducing the pres-sure to open new areas. Integrated systems, on the other hand, intensi-fy animal production and generate greater need for food.
Among ranchers in western Ba-hia, sorghum has gained increasing popularity in the form of silage, when the whole plant is cut into small piec-
es and compacted in silos to serve as a strategic forage reserve for cat-tle in the dry season of the year. In addition, a new business emerges: the sale of silage in bags, a practical way to meet small creations. Millet is still little known for this purpose.
Uneb professor and doctor in the field of animal production, Dani-lo Gusmão, evaluates that many characteristics make these grains good alternatives for the feeding of cattle and birds. "In terms of nutrient composition and energy content, sorghum and millet have higher protein levels than maize, although they have slightly lower energy con-tent. Millet, specifically, is known for its balance between amino acids,” explains Gusmão, highlighting the specifics of each.
It is worth mentioning that cat-tle and poultry use the nutrients of food in a completely different way. "Experiments demonstrate optimal rates of substitution of maize for sor-ghum and millet, without a decrease in animal performance, which leads to a preference of several producers for these grains, which increase the profit in the production of meat and milk. For poultry, one must be care-ful, especially when talking about sorghum. Some varieties have an anti-nutritional substance known as tannin. For cattle it does not have direct problems, but for poultry it is necessary to use grains of varieties with low tannin. Both sorghum and millet, because they have lower en-ergy contents than corn, may com-promise the performance of some categories if the percentage of sub-stitution is integral. This is especially noted in poultry farming. The laying birds have lower requirements, al-lowing for a higher percentage of inclusion in the diets,” he explains.
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are many techniques adopted for plant coverages, but they have a sin-gle purpose: the increase of organic matter, allowing a series of advan-tages for the producer and nature, with emphasis on the reduction of the impact of chemical products used in the production system.
Adept at the Direct Planting System (SPD), without soil rotation or crop rotation, Luiz Pradella sees, year after year, the positive results in his crop, with commercial produc-tion of soybean and corn, located in the region of Coaceral, in Formosa do Rio Preto. "By keeping the green cover on the ground, the plants will recycle the nutrients that have been applied. The crop rotation provides a greater difference of root sys-tems in that environment,” explains Pradella. There are more than 15 harvests with the operational straw, without soil turning, which made the change in the concept of area open-ing possible, he said.
Following the soybean crop, the farmer plants sorghum or millet, with the main objective being the formation of the biomass; and in the corn crop, which corresponds to a quarter of the area, is rotated with brachiarias of several species for consortium. It still uses crotalarias to reduce nematodes and fix nitrogen from the air in the soil. "By preceding the corn crop, we will stop using a good part of the industrialized urea nitrogen, reducing the dose of the chemical fertilizer by 30%,” he says.
A well-done rotation system, with the use of less impacting prac-tices, promotes better soil condition and, consequently, increases pro-ductivity. "We improved the con-ditions of the corn's roots, and so the soybeans will benefit from that modified environment, and also in-
creasing the possibility of the plant-ing window, being able to enjoy the best season," says Pradella.
According to him, the combina-tion of these techniques allows for the structuring of the soils (opening of the pores), which helps in the im-provement of its level. The use of such technologies allows sandy soils, also called light soils, to be used for the production of grains, fibers, en-ergy materials, sugarcane, silvicul-ture and cultivated pastures. In the Matopiba region, 20% of the territo-ry is made up of this type of soil.
A true “formula for success” has ensured a significant improvement in the quality of the land, improv-ing the profile of the soil and trans-forming the Cerrado into a region that is farmable. In addition to di-rect operating cost gains, there are incalculable benefits to nature, as such practices that are environmen-tally friendly because they can trap more carbon dioxide in the land. In 10 years, Pradella managed to meet the environmental agenda and add 1% of organic matter to his property, totaling 2.5%, a considerable result when compared to the 0.7% to 1.5% variation in the West (which config-
ures poor soil). This management not only improves the soil, but also helps to deter rainwater, thus avoid-ing the drainage of much of this wa-ter that causes erosion, in addition to contributing to the replenishing of the aquifers.
"Only 1% of carbon is capable of storing more than 27 liters of water per square meter, giving greater productivity in the face of summer or inclement weather, because the plant supports more sunny days," argues Pradella, who is also a agri-cultural technician and postgradu-ate in agribusiness strategies. He still estimates a 20 percent increase in productivity from these adversities. "It is our savings, the best agricultur-al insurance the farmer can have," he says.
According to the Director of Wa-ter and Irrigation of the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba), the agronomy engineer José Cisino Lopes, the imprisonment of CO2 in the land favors the plants so that they have more access to water and nutrients, starting with the de-velopment a stronger root system. "With higher quality soil and well developed and deeper roots, the re-
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Cotton:Bahia's white gold
Quality, traceability, sustainable practices, standard and vol-ume are some of the factors that make Brazil stand out in the international cotton scene, making it one of the largest exporters of the fiber worldwide. In addition to the numer-
ous competitive advantages that are available to investors, in some producing states, such as Bahia, potential growth in the entire production chain is identified.
The forecast for growth for the 2018/2019 harvest is 25% in the planted area of cotton in Bahia. The Bahian Association of Cotton Producers (Abapa) estimates that cotton growers should allocate a total area of approximately 329.4 thousand hectares to the crop, 316.9 thousand in the West, and 12.4 thousand in Southwest Bahia. This increase demonstrates the farmers' opti-mism with the crop, which in the last harvest (2017/2018) ended in mid-September, and guaranteed a gross profitability of R$4.3 billion and a record average productivity of 320 arrobas/hect-are. The total production was 1.270 million tons of cotton (seed and raw), in an area of 263.692 thousand hectares. Bahia is the second largest producer of fiber in Brazil, trailing behind Mato Grosso only.
The profitability of the crop benefits producers and workers in the region
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phy and Statistics (IBGE), agribusi-ness in the West of Bahia account-ed for 49% of all jobs generated in the region, while in Brazil the average sector far below, about 37%. Data from the State Plan-ning Department (Seplan) and the Superintendent of Economic and Social Studies of Bahia (Sei) show that the stock of formal employ-ment in agribusiness in the region is approximately 25 thousand jobs.
In agribusiness, the income gener-ated surpasses that of other sec-tors of the economy. The worker received, in 2018, on average about R$1,816.50. In the same period, the cotton crop paid an average salary of R$2,444.40. When we add the salary to the cost of maintenance of the worker on the farm and so-cial fees, the average income gen-erated upwards of R$5,400.00. The wage floor of the agricultural worker exceeds the highest floor of commerce and the minimum wage established by the government.
Currently, it is estimated that another 4,000 direct jobs are be-ing generated in 40 cotton plants established in the West of Bahia. With the increase in production and planted area, the number of jobs offered by the cotton produc-tion chain should increase.
Government policies also play an important role in the develop-ment of Bahia's cotton production. One of them is the Cotton Culture Incentive Program in the Western part of Bahia - Proalba, which grants the producer up to 50% of ICMS due on the marketing of the product in the domestic market, provided that it meets the pre-established quality criteria. Of this 50%, 10% is destined to the Fund for the Development of Agribusiness of Cotton - Fundeagro, which invests the money collect-ed in research, health defense and marketing.
POTENTIAL
Large extensions of flat and formed lands in the vast major-ity, for red-yellow latosols with clay content being 15% and 45%, facilitate cultivation mechanical harvesting in the western region,
in addition to offering adequate moisture and light. "Cotton estab-lishes very well in the region and the climate is very favorable, with a very well defined rainfall period and suitable rainfall dynamics. There are short rain cycles, followed by dry periods, where the cotton ends up having enough light and this dy-namic does not lead to contamina-tion by pathogenic microorganisms (diseases). With more photosynthe-sis, we also do not subject the crop to water stress,” argues producer César Busato.
"So the averages of non-irrigat-ed cotton in the West of Bahia are considered the best in the world. Compared to soybeans, cotton has a higher value added, generates a large volume of jobs, four times more, and a turnover three times higher per hectare,” he says.
The scheduled harvest for the dry season is favorable for the pro-duction of the good white feather. Western cotton from Bahia has fi-ber type 41-4 to 21-2, length 1.1/16 to 1.1/4 and micronaire ranging from 3.5 to 4.2 (resistance above 28 gram force tex), placing it among the best in the country. Data from the State Department of Agriculture (Sea-gri) show that production costs are around US$2.40 per hectare, with a yield of US$400 per hectare, for producers with a productivity of more than 270 arrobas per hectare, which can be surpassed in irrigated plantations, whose productivity can reach 350 arrobas per hectare.
Cotton production in the state is mostly in the municipalities of São Desidério, Formosa do Rio Preto, Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Barriers, Corren-tina, Riachão das Neves, Jaborandi, Cocos, Baianópolis and Santana.
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"We know that it is a bit difficult to maintain the next harvest, but based on the weather forecast and the increase in planted area, I think we will have the largest cotton production in the state of Bahia. Farmers did their part, in-vesting in equipment, technology and soil improvement, stream-lined their production processes and this will be reflected in in-creased productivity,” says Aba-pa's president, Júlio Busato.
For the implantation of ben-eficiaries and industrialization, the state has a variety of items to produce and a strategic loca-tion, a short distance from other consumer states in the North-east and Central West, such as: Ceará, Pernambuco, the Federal District, Goiás and Minas Gerais. The region is cut by the federal highway BR-020/242, which links Barreiras to Salvador, in addition to BR-242, which links Bahia to Tocantins, which facilitates transit during all 12 months of the year. The cotton seed has a guaran-teed market in the Northeast re-gion for animal consumption and oil production. Currently, Brazil is the second largest exporter of cotton in the world, behind the United States.
According to the president of Aiba, Celestino Zanella, the ab-sence of mixed industries (grain and stone) in the region com-promises the value added in the cotton crop. "When the traders came to the West, cotton growers stil l did not focus on industrial de-velopment, many were stil l pay-ing for their land, they had other priorities. Agribusiness has to be a thought out process, continu-ous and progressive, and people
need to be ready for it. Farmers have to have time for maturity to join the projects. What we are proposing now is the organiza-tion of the long-term process,” explains Zanella. For this, Aiba has created production chain di-rectorates to unlock important industry bottlenecks. Approxi-mately 74 processing plants are currently installed in the region, 40 of which are active, in full op-eration.
GENERATION OFEMPLOYMENT AND INCOME
Cotton is a crop that provides expertise and pays the best wages in the field compared to the others. In addition, farm sustainability pro-grams provide legal employment and benefits to the worker, such as health and safety at work, housing, food, living and leisure structures.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) and the Brazilian Institute of Geogra-
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now is to receive recognition of the crop through the Ministry of Agri-culture (Map) ordinance, indicating the fruit for the region and making specific financing options possible, among other things,” he points out. In the arena of fruit business, there is still the banana, in larger scale, in addition to mango, grapes, citrus and even pitaya.
The producer Antelmo Farias, of the Estância Solaris farm, in the district of Riachão das Neves, Val-ley region, when acquiring proper-ty in 2016, had to perform the large task of soil correction, but he does not regret having invested in cocoa partnered with coconut. Native of the municipality of Ipiaú, he knew the cultural practices of traditional cocoa, with seven to eight meters of height, and began to test varie-ties to adapt to the region, arriving at the selection of three types, with a maximum height of 2 to 3 meters and high productivity. "I learned to prune down and clean, I frequently
available for irrigation; natural dry-ing (it uses a solar stove); rainfall throughout a six-month period, from October to March (if it does not rain some months, there is the possibility of irrigation), and can induce production in a month that has little supply of cocoa in the market; rainfall index of 800 to 1,200 millimeters; dry season, with low humidity; absence of major pests such as Witch's Broom and Dead Rot, which can not withstand the low humidity (cold and dry cli-mate),” details Antelmo Farias. Ac-cording to him, the harvest should be done in a dry period, when the plant metabolizes more and the fruits are less astringent, which is ideal for the production of a su-perior cocoa.” From April to Sep-tember comes irrigation and the harvest. Already the rainy season is excellent to do the crop treat-ments,” he advises.
For a rational use of water, the orientation is the abundant use of organic matter in the soil, avoiding loss by evapotranspiration. "This is another advantage of the Coconut Consortium. To conserve moisture and reduce water consumption, we make a 15-centimeter cover with cocopit, a type of soil, made from coconut shell powder.
There are also producers who chose to reproduce the Atlantic Forest in their irrigated areas, cre-ating a balanced environment, but focused on small-scale, traditional and non-mechanized production. In the activity 18 years ago, in the region, Antônio Rosival Veloso decided to flee from the interme-diaries and implanted, on his four hectares, a consortium system of production of cocoa with banana. With much longing for the fam-
did soil sampling and invested in fertigation, direct soil fertilization. To recover the old plants, I used the grafting technique, and I re-planted the area (80%) with new, self-produced and self-compatible plants, that is, ones that pollinate each other. Ideal for the produc-tion of fine cocoa", reports Farias, who has recently added in the production of nibs. A total of three varieties are adapted and two new, being tested on the property. "I'm very optimistic. For me, it will be the cocoa of the Cerrado, with very high productivity,” celebrates the producer. Already in the first year of production, the 13-hectare prop-erty reached 800 arrobas of cocoa.
The producer still lists many advantages that make the West-ern region competitive for the production of fine chocolate. "Flat lands, which favor mechanization (85% of its production is mecha-nized) and arenaceous soils with good drainage; good quality water,
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The cocoa crop is the new wager for diversification of fruit growing in the West
Interested in opening up new markets, family and business irrigators from West-ern Bahia are investing heavily in the fruit-growing chain, diversifying into crops and associations that were unthinkable for the region in that past. Who would have thought that, in the land of grains and fibers, it would be possible to plant cocoa un-
der the shade of a coconut tree, to produce fine chocolate and nibs? The new wager in the Valley region has already yielded good results and the recognition of the Executive Committee of the Cocoa Plan - Ceplac, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture (Map), which already guides the production of seedlings in the region.
According to the director of Water and Irrigation of Aiba, agronomist Cisino Lopes, the activity of cocoa farming is one of the most promising for the region. "With the approval of reports from the main reference organization, the producer's expectation
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Another 975 hectares are planted with citrus. The watermelon culture is also considerable, with an area of 1,800 hectares. Zanella explains that the productivity versus income re-lationship is completely different in the rain-fed and irrigated regions. "Superlatively, 1 hectare irrigated in the Valley, can represent up to 20 hectares in the Cerrado. A soybean crop, with a high productivity of 80 sacks per hectare, at a price of R$70.00, for example, has a turno-ver of R$5.6 thousand per hectare. While in the Valley, 1 hectare of banana, of the correct variety and produced at the right time, can generate an income of more than R$80,000 per year.
Just in the northern perimeter
of Barreiras there are more than 70 lots producing banana. Data from the Association of Banana Producers - Aproban reveal that 470 hectares of the perimeter is in-tended for banana cultivation, 251 hectares of the silver dwarf variety and 219 hectares for the nanica. "In 2018, the perimeter recorded an approximate production of 15.2 thousand tons of bananas, gener-ating a revenue of R$12.2 million. The maximum productivity can reach, depending on the size of the property and technology im-plemented, up to 50 tons per hec-tare for the silver dwarf type and up to 100 tons per hectare for nan-ica", states the person in charge of the operation and maintenance
of the perimeter and representa-tive of the entity, Cicero Tavares. From a natural selection of crops, the production of bananas began to be integrated with manioc and pasture, as well as other cultures on a smaller scale.
The perimeter is subdivided into family lots, up to 7 hectares, and business, from 15 to 50 hec-tares, as well as independent farmers who joined the project. "Taking into account the breadth of areas, the low occupancy and the rational use of water, we have a great potential for growth and high appreciation of the land," says the manager. The North Barreiras Pe-rimeter has an approximate area of 2,800 hectares and occupation, with irrigated lots, on 1,621 hec-tares. Each lot receives pressur-ized water, with supply 20 hours a day, and commercial points.
In accordance with the sustain-able growth policy of the region, from the rational use of water, the perimeter has adopted some measures of control and optimi-zation of the resource. "What has been noticed in the last five years is a significant drop in the flow of the Rio Grande, aquifer Urucuia and, in order not to compromise the oper-ation of the irrigated perimeter, we are adopting an emergency meas-ure, reducing the supply by two hours and encouraging differen-tiation of rates. Those who irrigate in the morning pay a higher price than those who irrigate at night,” explains Cicero Tavares. "Other measures adopted are the con-stant monitoring of individual con-sumption and the awareness work of producers and the surrounding community," he concludes.
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ily he left Ilheus, he brought many varieties of seedlings from the Bio Factory to the Valley and today he produces his own. "I offer multiple varieties here, which guarantee me the acidity necessary for the production of fine quality choco-late" says Veloso.
INCENTIVES
Brazilians are among the larg-est chocolate consumers in the world (fifth place), and some initia-tives at the federal level promise to double cocoa production, which still does not meet the growing demand of the industry. The ex-pectation of the Ministry of Ag-riculture, Livestock and Supply - Map - is to increase production by 50% by 2023, reaching more than 300 thousand tons and in 10 years, this increase should be at 100%. The country's production is estimated at 180 thousand tons of cocoa beans, and the chain han-dled R$25 billion in 2018. The sec-tor is responsible for 180 thousand direct jobs.
Among the incentives are the federal government's ABC pro-gram, which provides credit for low-carbon agriculture. In this har-vest alone, R$2 billion in credit will be allocated for producers who invest in sustainable techniques with fewer emissions of gases. The objective is to balance the mar-ket, increasing production, in the planted or degraded areas of the Atlantic Forest, with sustainability and meet the growing demand of the chocolate industries.
It is worth mentioning that the prospects for expansion of tropical fruit production in Bahia are excel-lent due to, among other factors, the possibility of two or more har-
vests per year, suitable lands and water resources for irrigation, con-solidated and structured export hubs. Added to Bahian production are the high productivity indexes in the irrigated areas, with a post-harvest structure, fruit quality and conformity certifications adopted by world markets, which make the activity strongly attractive, to-gether with the strategic territo-rial location of the state for flow of production. IBGE data show that Bahia is the second largest pro-ducer of fresh fruit and 3rd larg-est exporter, trailing behind states such as Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte (2016).
As an investment opportunity, the State presents potential for the implantation of agro-industries of concentrated juices, various sweets, fruit pulps, candied fruits, in addition to the ever increasing demand for fruits for export and for domestic consumption. In the national scenario, data from Abra-frutas and CNA show that, in the fruit market, Brazil is the third larg-est producer of fruit, with an esti-mated production of 33.3 billion tons in 2017 and uses 16% of the Brazilian agricultural labor force.
The president of Aiba, Celesti-no Zanella, evaluates that fruit pro-duction plays an extraordinary role in the diversification of the West-ern region and, when the study of the Water Potential is ready, there will be a considerable increase of production capacity in the Valley region. "With training, the small producers will be able to develop not only the fruit growth, generat-ing the possibility of industrializa-tion of the leftovers, but also fish farming, poultry farming and hor-tifrutigranjeiros (mix of vegetables,
fruit and poultry or cattle), in a general way. This training for this type of work is already being done at Model Farm,” says Zanella.
POTENTIAL OFTHE CERRADO
The Western region has all the requirements to produce quality and quantity for export. Data from Aiba show that the fruit production of the Cerrado of Bahia currently occupies an area of 3.9 thousand hectares irrigated under central pivot. Of this total, 788 hectares are destined to the cultivation of papaya, with predominance of the Formosa variety. Almost 20% of the papaya harvested in the state comes from the Western region.
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The multiple use of planted wood is the alternative, and pro-ducers are already convinced that diversification needs to be invest-ed in modern management mod-els, integrated production systems and full utilization of properties. “This is time to review these num-bers, evaluate the demands and price, invest in projects. We have technology, the right varieties, nurseries. In Barreiras alone there are three Wood Treatment Units (UTM)", says the director of Abaf, Wilson Andrade. "Taking into ac-count that the timber cycle is four to eight years for the main desti-nations, the consumer companies need to prepare for a wood black-out," he warns.
In order to reduce the risks and uncertainties in the market, the Lavoura - Pecuária - Floresta in-tegration (ILPF) has shown to be a viable option for the region, im-proving the income and the qual-ity of the agricultural or pastoral crop. Among the adopted systems
are the planting of eucalyptus with sorghum, millet, gurutuba beans and even soybean, still with an im-pact on the economic return, be-cause the area decreased, but with a guaranteed increase in produc-tivity and nutritional quality of soil.
In the integration with livestock, there is an expectation of a 12 to 15% increase in milk production and a 20% increase in the concep-tion rate. "This is because the shad-ed areas, in the midst of drought, guarantee thermal comfort for the cattle, reducing the temperature of the cow’s hide up to 4 degrees. In the shade the animal ruminates for 24 hours. Another benefit of in-tegrating livestock farming is par-ity. The animal is more comfort-able, it is not under stress,” he says.
Among the advantages of the system of consortium with forests are the increase in income and better management of human and material resources, where the producer can use the tractor and labor all year. "The greater diver-
sification of production leads pro-ducers to lower economic risks, not to mention the high profitabil-ity of the sector, with competitive credit lines," concludes Andrade.
PLANNING
For those who want to invest in forest implantation, whether in planting or replanting, specialists and representatives of the sector draw attention to important care involved from the location of the land, recognition of the area, land surveying, mapping, chemical and physical soil analysis and vegeta-tion survey. In addition to the re-gional edaphoclimatic conditions, it is necessary to pay attention to the distribution of legal reserves and permanent preservation ar-eas, to the choice of species and/or origin; roads, fires and tiling; partition fences; cleaning of the area, control of the area and dis-eases; soil correction and prepara-tion; choice of spacing; mineral fer-tilization; silvicultural treatments.
Producers implement agroforestry systems to increase income anddiversify production
With approximately 700 thousand hectares planted in Bahia, mainly with eucalyptus, the forest-based sector contributes substantially to the positive balance of trade in the State,
ranking third in exports, with external sales in the or-der of US$1.27 billion. At the national level, this comes just behind the sale of soybeans, meat and sugar and alcohol industry, according to FIEB data. The country leads in forestry productivity, with an average of 35.7 cubic meters per hectare per year.
According to the executive director of the Ba-hia Association of Forest Based Companies (Abaf), Wilson Andrade, the industry has leveraged several other segments that demand wood in their produc-tion processes, such as construction, pulp and paper, metallurgy, biomass energy, the drying of agribusi-ness grains, wood and furniture. The forest planta-tions in Bahia are located in the South, Southwest, North and West Coast.
Despite growing wood consumption, estimated at 5,000 hectares per year, the Western region of Ba-hia has not increased the area planted for marketing
purposes in the last five years. On the contrary, it has reduced by 56%, from approximately 52 thousand hectares (2012) to 23 thousand hectares in 2018. Pro-ductivity in the region is also below average, varying from 21 to 23 cubic meters per hectare per year. Re-search shows that there is a year-to-year stockpile, with no replenishment.
According to forestry engineer and professor, Moisés Pedreira, several reasons have led farmers in the region not to reform the cut areas, nor to add new areas to the existing ones. "The main reason was the decimation of rapidly developing plantations, during a long dry season (2012 to 2017), associated with the lack of adequate management in forestry projects, discouraging producers who turned to other crops," he points out.
"Eucalyptus is a crop like any other, not just plant-ing and waiting for the cycle of seven or eight years to harvest. It requires all the zeal of soil preparation, pest and weed control. When the project dies, the produc-er is forced to cut the whole field, even if it is not yet ready for commercialization. The supply increases, the price falls,” clarifies Quarreira.
WESTERN BAHIA
It is noteworthy that in the West of Bahia there is a profile of historical consumption of wood biomass for energy purposes that corresponds to 98% and at-tends to the large mills, raw material production, pack-ing plants, grain dryers, bakeries and pizzerias. Only 2% are destined to the construction of posts, pergolas or fences. "Businessmen have already sought wood outside of the region, making the business unfeasible, with expensive freight and difficult transportation. For small areas that are being repopulated, the scenario is also not good. Producers already buy seedlings from other states,” warned Pedreira.
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Bahia also has areas conducive to the expansion of dairy farm-ing, with industrial plants already installed; herds adapted to the tropical region, milk production to pasture and expanding mar-ket versus repressed demand in production; high sanitary control of dairy herds; programs (bru-cellosis, tuberculosis, rabies and foot-and-mouth disease). These factors, among others, make Bahia present itself as a state with great potential for the realization of pro-ductive investments in the sector.
With the vast area and abun-dant inputs and the incentive to agriculture-livestock integration, a worldwide trend, the Western re-gion has the potential to involve small farmers and large producers. "Our greatness is in our productive potential, since there is no short-age in the region of food supplies for livestock, on a commercial scale, with a multitude of products and by-products. This food de-mand is increasing from the inten-
sification in some farms to creation in confinement, semi-confinement and for the supplementation of an-imals, so livestock and agriculture need to walk side by side for better results and gains", considers the director Acrioeste and the Union of Rural Producers of Barreiras, Antônio Balbino de Carvalho.
The allurement of new compa-nies, not only for grain processing, for animal nutrition, slaughtering (slaughterhouses) and the increase of the installed capacity of large dairy plants also strengthen the region's oldest activity, livestock. Well-defined seasonality is also a competitive advantage. "Moments without rain are predictable, but we need to be prepared to deal with momentary adversities like the summer weather that takes us by surprise and which are inherent difficulties to the environment," says cattle rancher Balbino.
He also points out significant advances in relation to the orga-nization of the dairy production
chain, highlighting the possible coming of the largest dairy plant in the Northeast, Bethany, to the West, already hiring an environ-ment to attract milk from pro-ducers. The announcement took place at an event organized by the industry that brought together about 400 people among breed-ers, entrepreneurs, and represen-tatives of the segment. Another achievement was the resurgence of the Cooperative of the Dairy Producers of the West of Bahia - Cooperleite, besides a greater participation of the State with the Bahia Productive program.
The objective is to increase production in the West and add ef-forts to make Bahia self-sufficient in milk production, since, despite having the 3rd largest dairy herd and the 8th highest milk produc-tion in Brazil, it ranks 23rd in the ranking of productivity. Much of the milk consumed by the Bahians comes from other states, such as Minas Gerais and Goiás.
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Western ranchers wantcompetitive, environmentally proven production
Breeders, companies and representatives of the agricultural segment add efforts to the develop-ment of dairy cattle and beef cattle breeding in the western region of Bahia. The intention is to
increase productivity, in a competitive and environ-mentally proven way, with changes in pasture man-agement practices, genetic improvement of the herd, animal nutrition, logistics and market guarantee, thus closing the regional productive link.
The western part of the State has an estimat-ed two million head of cattle, with a higher share of beef cattle. The predominant breed is Nelore, and to a lesser extent Guzerá, in addition to dairy cattle, according to data from Acrioeste. Commercial beef cattle breeding gained momentum in the late 1920s, when the pioneer in the field, Companhia Sertaneja Agropastoril settled in Barreiras in 1928 and began buying and selling stock. Today, the region reaffirms its importance in the segment, with the supply of good land, attracting large agricultural enterprises, in addition to being recognized nationally for the quality of the calves that it produces and that supply the con-finements of several parts of Brazil.
POTENTIAL
The raising of beef cattle is an activity of great relevance for the state of Bahia, with a herd in 2017 of approximately 9.6 million animals, the ninth in na-tional ranking. The great territorial extension allows the existence of a diverse range of plant formations, which makes the creation of cattle to pasture - the so-called "green bull" - possible through the rotation-al grazing system, as well as confined and semi-con-fined in the producing regions of grain from the West. This comprehensive range of alternatives allows the production of super quick maturing calves with high profit, adding value to superior quality meat.
Characterized by greater muscularity, weight gain and carcass yield, beef cattle represent 80% of the cattle herd in Bahia, 36.2% of the herd of the North-east of Brazil (first place), predominating Nelore mes-tizos, being that the main region's producers, such as the West, are characterized by the greater number of breeders with pure herds of this breed and a 16% cattle surplus rate. The surplus rate measures the ability of the herd to generate surplus, that is, it rep-resents the production (in arrobas or heads) in a cer-tain period of time in relation to the initial herd. The higher the rate of enjoyment, the greater the internal production of the herd. The most common industrial crossings in the western region of the state are of Red Angus or Aberdeen Angus bulls, with Nelore cows or Nellore crossbreds.
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BAHIA FARM SHOW
took place during Fenagro, in Sal-vador, bringing together producers, businessmen, politicians and guests.
The Complex comprises an area of 144,000 square meters, with a good electrical and hydrau-lic network structure, restrooms, leisure area, 100% paved streets and native species forest, as well as ample parking and restaurants. The Bahia Farm Show Complex also has two auditoriums, an ex-perimental field with research in the agricultural sector, as well as a test drive area with exhibitions
and performances of the auto-motive sector, a medical center, exhibitor and assembler service center and 24-hour security.
There will be 210 exhibitors in all, with more than 900 brands ex-hibited. "This year we are expand-ing our occupied area by 20%, creating new spaces such as the “New Tent", which will house 62 small and medium-sized compa-nies, also linked to agribusiness, in a covered and privileged pavil-ion. In addition to this new area, we will also have two restaurants,
one VIP, and two food courts, with capacity for 4 thousand meals a day; four adapted bath-rooms; Little Farm (fazendinha) and park, with a circuit of tree climbing on eucalyptus trees, of-fering leisure and safety for the little ones, as well as other ac-tivities. We are focused on trans-forming this great event into a multiple space, focusing not only on generating business, but also as a leisure alternative for fami-lies,” describes the coordinator of Bahia Farm Show, Rosi Cerrato.
Due to success, the interna-tionalization of the fair is a fact. "Last year we received exhibitors from Uruguay, Germany and the United States, who saw the fair as an opportunity to leverage their businesses and invest in the re-gion. And this year we will have the adhesion of foreign compa-nies and the important confirma-tion of the public and private fi-nancial agents that guarantee the differential in the price and the conditions of payment in the ac-quisition of machines and equip-ment together with the other ex-hibitors", she concludes.
New Tent is one of the novelties of the Fair
BAHIA FARM SHOW
The Bahia Farmshould generate R$ 2 billion in business
With the expectation of a financial turnover of R$2 billion in business, Bahia Farm Show reaffirms its importance in the development of Bahian agribusiness, bringing together the best in advanced technology in the various productive seg-
ments and promoting the diffusion of research and knowledge. For this 15-year commemorative edition of the Fair, which runs from May 28 to June 1, organizers estimate 60,000 visitors, including suppliers, buyers, farmers, the academic community and the general public.
In the 2018 edition, the fair confirmed its position as one of the largest agricultural events in Brazil, reaching a historical mark of R$1.891 billion in turnover, a 23% growth over the previous year. More than three thousand direct and indirect jobs were generated.
The Bahia Farm Show is organized by the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba), with the support of the Bahian Associ-ation of Cotton Producers (Abapa), Bahia Foundation, Association of Resellers of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment of Western Bahia Ltda. (Assomiba) and the City Hall of Luís Eduardo Magalhães.
"It is a very labor-intensive action for Aiba, who is directly in-volved in the organization, but we do not measure the effort and instead work year-round to ensure that this space favors people's
entrepreneurship and knowl-edge, regardless of their scale of production. What matters is not the size, but the efficiency im-plemented by each one on their property. Farmers with a smaller scale can survive on a hectare or less, depending on the tech-nology implemented and good management practices,” says the president of Aiba and Bahia Farm Show, Celestino Zanella. "The Fair consolidates every year and has business participation, per per-son, which is a reference in the Country,” he says, also stressing the importance of the event in bringing together in a single space all the news in agricultural tech-nology for the development of agriculture for Western Bahia and Matopiba (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia).
"The 15-year edition will be our best-edited, best-organized and relying on farmers, who will have another year of success in the field, will again achieve a new business record. We want the R$2 billion fair,” he concludes. The launch of the Bahia Farm Show
