The president of the Brazilian Association of the Machinery and Equipment Industry (Abimaq), João Marchesan has called for reforms and requested the release of another R $ 2.5 billion for the modernization program of the agricultural fleet, Moderfrota, until the end of the current harvest, in June.
João Marchesan, said this at the official opening of the Agrishow in Brazil yesterday, which took place in Ribeirão Preto (SP) and was attended by President Jair Bolsonaro. The main agribusiness fair in the Southern Hemisphere continues until 3 May 2019.
The Brazilian Machinery Builders´ Association (ABIMAQ) was founded in 1937, with the purpose of acting on behalf of strengthening the national industry, mobilizing the sector, carrying out actions next to the political and economic instances, stimulating international trade and cooperation and contributing to improve their performance in terms of technology, capacitation of human resources and managerial upgrading.
During an interview with Farmers Review Africa Marchesan said “50 % of the agricultural machinery is 10-15 years and needs to be renewed, harvesters need to adopt new technology, for better production and explore other means of transport from the field to market as the road is expensive.
At the Agrishow Abimaq launched a (Bank of collaboration of Data (BDCA) Big data collected by farmers, to assist with real-time information.
Brazil agricultural exports amounted to BR $15 billion in 2018 and this is expected the increase by 16% this year. The country is the world’s largest exporter of coffee, soybeans, beef, and crop-based ethanol is capable to produce and export more to Asia, which is growing financially.
Marchesan said the emphasis should be investing in research, analysis, and concession of everything. Their mandate is also financial support to the farmers; acting as a go-between the government and farmers, and that it is important for the government to seek alternatives in order to increase the availability of investment credit as this was a great challenge.
“Machines are expensive in Brazil, rates are too high from the banks and bureaucracy. We are appealing the government to approach the banks so that they do release the money at lower rates” added Marchesan.
The other challenge facing the agricultural sector is that a lot of people had retired from the industry, hence leaving fewer producers.
In Brazil, 66% of the land is still intact and 70Mill hectares is used out of 850million, only 8% (strict in preserving the land) to avoid challenges of climate change. 25% of the land is still preserved by strict environmental laws
In conclusion, Marchesan put an emphasis on the importance of new technologies, and that they should assist in enabling farmers in having to access this new technology, as well as collaboration with other countries.
