Certification of product functionality is the topic of a meeting between the Spraying Adjuvants program and Coopercitrus

The first cooperative in Brazil to sell only agricultural adjuvants recognized by the 'Pulverization Adjuvants' program seal, Coopercitrus participated in a technical meeting with experts from the Engineering and Automation Center (CEA). An entity of the Agronomic Institute (IAC) based in Jundiaí, linked to the Department of Agriculture and Supply of the State of SP, the research center houses a well-equipped laboratory, dedicated to certifying the functionality of agricultural adjuvants.

Created more than 20 years ago, the Spraying Adjuvants program is financed with private resources. It unites agribusiness companies with CEA-IAC and gave rise to the “CEA-IAC Quality Seal”. This is only granted to manufacturers who subject agricultural adjuvants to scientific methodologies for analyzing and certifying the functionalities of such products.

According to scientific researcher and director of CEA-IAC, Hamilton Ramos, adjuvants are chemical products with properties such as spreading, humectant and others. These inputs are associated with agricultural pesticide mixture, with the aim of improving the performance of agrochemical treatments against pests, diseases and weeds in crops.

Adhesion to the seal

“Following Coopercitrus’ partnership with ‘Adjuvantes da Pulverização’, around two years ago, more than 20 manufacturers of agricultural adjuvants joined the search for the seal”, summarizes Ramos. According to the researcher, at the event with Coopercitrus, an overview of recent CEA-IAC activities was also presented. The cooperative and the research center also discussed criteria, under study, to improve adjuvant recommendation processes in the country.

Ramos warns that unlike agricultural pesticides or agrochemicals, agricultural adjuvants are exempt from official registration in Brazil. “This regulatory gap brings potential risks to the quality of products in general,” he notes. “A poor-quality adjuvant, even when associated with an effective agricultural pesticide, causes losses related to the farmer’s investments to control pests, diseases and weeds.”

Headquartered in the São Paulo municipality of Bebedouro, Coopercitrus is the leading cooperative in the State of São Paulo in the area of ​​marketing agricultural inputs, machinery and implements, and also one of the largest in Brazil. It has more than 60 branches, technical support and structures for service in different agricultural crops, in the states of SP, MG and GO. Coopercitrus' membership portfolio currently includes more than 35 thousand farmers.