New challenge for the field

The unemployment rate is low in some Brazilian regions, such as the South, Southeast and Midwest. In some sectors – such as agribusiness, construction, health, services and information and communication technology – the shortage of human resources is atrocious. In road transport, for example, companies report that they have 30% of vacancies due to an absolute lack of drivers.

There is, however, one sector in which the situation is very worrying due to its essential nature for the nation's food security: agriculture. In fact, there is a chronic shortage of labor in the primary sector of the economy.

For some time now, the genesis of this problem has been attributed to rural exodus, but this phenomenon has been relatively attenuated in recent decades with the professionalization of agricultural and livestock activities.

It turns out that many vacancies have emerged in the countryside because heavy investments were made by cooperatives and agribusinesses that converted millions of reais into sophisticated production units, such as slaughterhouses, poultry and pig breeding farms, piglet production units, gene dissemination centers, raw milk collection points, rural family agribusinesses, in addition to the modernization of rural establishments intended for the cultivation of corn, soybeans, beans and beef cattle, among others.

Therefore, there is a shortage of thousands of workers to run these production units, as well as a shortage of thousands of rural producers/entrepreneurs to manage rural establishments.

New generations of farmers/rural producers will probably not emerge spontaneously in agricultural communities. However, this training – which requires will and vocation – can be achieved through professional training courses. This is a very specific economic agent, since agriculture is a complex activity that requires knowledge and practice in agronomy, veterinary science, biology, administration, etc. The country depends on this essential area for social peace and growth.

It has become inevitable and necessary to attract the urban public, captivating people to work in rural environments, operating machines and equipment, taking care of biological assets. In short, living in the full range of rural activities and working with dignity, comfort and safety.

The National Rural Training Service (Senar) works to address this serious and worrying deficiency and offers high-level training to rural producers who are already in the activity and to those interested in joining. They achieve managerial efficiency and business success through the courses and training they receive.

Those involved in the activity receive intensive training, but the main issue is the number of rural workers that needs to increase. The situation is so worrying that some agribusinesses are already recruiting immigrants from their regions of origin to address this problem.

This situation reinforces the need for public policies to permanently support the Brazilian rural world, especially in terms of rural infrastructure so that living, working and production conditions are the best possible.

 The shortage of human resources in the countryside is a matter of national interest because this labor shortage could hinder national development. It is a new challenge for the countryside.

*Per José Zeferino Pedrozo, President of the Agriculture and Livestock Federation of the State of Santa Catarina