Castrolanda Cooperative Wins Silage Competition

The Castrolanda cooperative, Everson Rentz (pictured) won first place in the 16th Corn Silage Competition, bringing the trophy back to the cooperative, where it will remain for a year. The competition, promoted by the ABC Foundation, had its final round during the 9th Winter Technology Show last week and aims to encourage cultivation, harvesting, and storage practices that result in high-quality silage, an essential input for the productivity and health of dairy herds.  

In this edition, more than 220 entries were received from the Frísia, Castrolanda, Capal and Witmarsum cooperatives, totaling more than 3 samples analyzed throughout the history of the event. 

"It was a great surprise and a tremendous honor to be the number one producer this year and to be able to bring this trophy back to our Castrolanda. I thank the ABC Foundation for creating this space for producers, Helpen for their dedicated service, especially to agronomist Rodrigo Evers, and Pioneer, a partner for five seasons, for their productivity support," he celebrates.  

The cooperative member also highlighted all the support Castrolanda offers to producers. "Our cooperative helps us at every stage of production, offering reliability, safety, and technical support essential for planning and crop performance. Today, producers don't work alone within the farm gate; it's essential to understand the challenges and available technologies, and the cooperative provides this to us every day," Everson emphasizes. 

Cooperative security 

For Castrolanda agricultural engineer Rodrigo Evers, who followed the winning producer's work, the achievement reflects the care taken at every stage of the process. "It's very gratifying to receive this award in such a highly technologically advanced region. I thank cooperative member Everson Rentz for his trust in the recommendations and for his exemplary execution of the field work. Every detail makes a difference," he states. 

Castrolanda's Technical Coordinator of Agricultural Input Management, Ândrea Toniolo Kubaski, emphasized the initiative's impact. "The Silage Competition generates value because, in addition to healthy competition, it promotes constant improvement in quality. Each year, producers, technicians, and cooperatives refine their hybrid selection, cultivation practices, cutting, and storage, always striving for excellence. This is directly reflected in the volume and quality of milk produced." 

Judgment 

According to Evandro Maschietto, coordinator of the Forage & Grain sector at the ABC Foundation, the judging considered 14 technical parameters, such as cutoff point, dry matter content, grain processing, starch, and estimated milk production per ton of dry matter. "We're seeing consistent gains in these parameters. This competition demonstrates how the pursuit of quality silage translates directly into milk production," he explains. 

Agroleite Stage 

The Agroleite 2025 event, held at Arena Conexão—the main plenary hall of the Castrolanda Expo Center—recognized the producers who presented the best Castrolanda silage samples. In addition to Everson Rentz, who also took first place, other cooperative members also stood out: Frederik de Jager took second place, and Eduardo and Eltje Groenwold took third. 

With Everson Rentz's victory, the Silage Competition trophy will remain at Castrolanda until the next edition, symbolizing not only the cooperative member's individual achievement, but also the cooperative's collective commitment to safety, quality and innovation in the field.