Espírito Santo stands out as the state with the largest irrigated coffee area in Brazil

According to ANA (National Water Agency), the state of Espírito Santo, in addition to being the largest producer of conilon / robusta coffee and papaya in Brazil, now formalizes its position as the state with the largest irrigated coffee area in the country.

Even though it is a state in which, occasionally, annual rainfall levels are not sufficient to meet crop water demands, Espírito Santo has higher rainfall rates than many other states in Brazil. This shows how receptive producers in this State are to new technologies and already understand that irrigation is essential to ensure production and increase productivity.

According to CONAB (National Supply Company) in the 2021 coffee harvest report, in the last 18 years there has been a reduction in the area cultivated for conilon / robusta coffee, but this has not reduced the production of this coffee in the country. On the contrary, production that was approximately 8 million bags went to just over 15 million bags and the average productivity jumped from 20 sc/ha to 40 sc/ha. This effect is known as verticalization of production, producing more in a smaller cultivated area. Technology, genetics and irrigation are the factors that allow this result.

Espírito Santo has 80 to 90% of its area irrigated by localized systems (drip and microsprinkler) and the average productivity of the state's irrigated areas is approximately 90 sc/ha. The Espírito Santo producer's working methodology was so successful that it is being replicated in other regions of Brazil. An example of this is the region in the extreme south of Bahia, which ranges from the border of Espírito Santo to the Bahian municipality of Eunápolis, a region that already has more than 70% of the areas irrigated by localized systems.

Localized irrigation systems, mainly drip, are directly responsible for boosting the agricultural level of the state of Espírito Santo. Drip irrigation presents greater efficiency in the use of water resources and, like the concept of verticalizing production, it has the main objective of producing more using less water. The receptivity to technology, the desire to innovate and the courage to break paradigms of producers from Espírito Santo are examples that are increasingly being followed by producers from all over Brazil.

 

Igor Lapa, Agronomic specialist at Netafim Brasil