FMC launches Harvesting Stories in cotton project

FMC launched this Friday (19/11) the Colhendo Histórias project, focused on cotton cultivation in Brazil. The company traveled more than 100 kilometers to compile approximately 300 hours of video recordings of the experiences of 26 families of cotton farmers, as well as testimonies from researchers and consultants linked to the sector.

“Our idea is to leave a collection that rescues the history of the expansion of cotton, the victories, struggles and setbacks of these people who dedicate themselves to the sector, until arriving at this photograph of the strength of current culture”, explains the Brazil marketing director at FMC, Daniela Tavares.

The history of cotton in Brazil is also intertwined with the company's own history, a leader in the control of pests such as the boll weevil. “In the 1990s, we launched a product that helped control aphids, the main challenge at that time. At the end of that same decade we created the Fibra Club and helped build Abrapa. In the early 2000s, we played an important role in advancing exports and promoting Brazilian cotton to the Asian market. And in 2016/17 we got involved in Abrapa's Sou Algodão campaign”, recalls FMC's cotton culture manager, Fábio Lemos.

Good prices and increase in area

With a buoyant market and good prices, cotton cultivation is expected to increase by 13% in the planted area, which tends to reach around 1,53 million hectares. The expectation is 2,7 million tons, 25% for the domestic market and 75% for exports. The Asian market is the main destination for Brazilian cotton.

Expected releases

The industry's fourth largest revenue crop in Brazil, cotton holds a good share of FMC's portfolio, especially in insecticides, as well as herbicides and fungicides. By 2018, the company intends to bring 17 new modes of action to the market to serve cotton, soybeans and corn.

For the next harvest, the company is working on the launch of a pre-emergent herbicide against chicken foot grass. The product, leader in sugar cane, will also be used in cotton. Another novelty is a biological product, against diseases such as white mold.

Another focus segment of FMC is precision agriculture, through the Arc digital platform, initially used to predict pest infestations and the application of insecticides, which will also be used as a tool for disease management.