SindiTabaco and associates launch “Tobacco is Agro” program

The Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco) and its associated companies launched the Tobacco is Agro Program: Diversification of Properties on March 25, during the Expoagro Afubra program in Rio Pardo (RS). The initiative complements actions that have been carried out by the tobacco industry since 1985, aiming to stimulate diversification and better use of property resources.

In the 2023/2024 harvest, according to the Brazilian Tobacco Growers Association (Afubra), tobacco occupied 20,5% of the average area of ​​properties, around 3 hectares, but represented 56,3% of producers' revenue (R$ 11,78 billion). Total revenue from diversification reached R$ 9,15 billion, with R$ 3,83 billion from other crops, with emphasis on corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes and fruit and vegetables, and R$ 5,32 billion from animal breeding and poultry products.

According to the president of SindiTabaco, Valmor Thesing (pictured above), the figures demonstrate the importance of tobacco for family farming. “In many municipalities, tobacco is the foundation of family farming, since it uses a small area with a higher return than other crops. Furthermore, due to its seasonality, it allows producers to choose a second harvest, including in the same area where they produce tobacco, strengthening sustainable economic growth, bringing food security and income diversity to their families,” highlights Thesing.

As was the case with the Corn, Beans and Pastures Program after the Tobacco Harvest, the program will be conducted by SindiTabaco with support from government entities and producer representatives, as well as the governments of the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. In the field, producers will receive guidance on the advantages of diversification.

 “In addition to the opportunity for a second source of income, when producers invest in diversification they also reduce the proliferation of pests, diseases and weeds on their property, ensuring healthy soil for the next harvest. In the case of livestock, grain cultivation reduces costs for the producer, whether by using residual fertilizers or by using them for animal feed,” says SindiTabaco technical advisor Fernanda Viana.

40 years encouraging diversification

1985 - Launch of the Corn and Beans program to encourage the cultivation of grains after the tobacco harvest.

2014 - SindiTabaco takes over the program, expanding its operations to the entire sector in the South of Brazil.

2017 - Inclusion of forage for pasture, changing to the Corn, Beans and Pastures Program after the Tobacco harvest.

2025 - The program is now called Tobacco is Agro: Diversification of Properties, in recognition of diversified tobacco producers.