Abapa highlights safety in the launch of Operation Harvest 2026/27

With a harvest of approximately 15 million tons of grains and fibers nearing completion and the start of a new cycle on the horizon, Western Bahia is entering a period of intense movement of cargo, machinery, supplies, and workers on its highways. To monitor this flow and reinforce the safety of producers and agricultural assets, the 13th Harvest Operation 2026/2027 was launched this Wednesday (September 30th) in Luís Eduardo Magalhães, with the participation of the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association (Abapa), the Bahia Military Police (PM-BA), the Bahia Agricultural Defense Agency (Adab), the Bahia Farmers and Irrigators Association (Aiba), and the production sector.

Present since the first edition in 2014, Abapa highlighted the integration between producers and the Public Authorities as fundamental to guaranteeing the safety of the activity. “We got here because we understood that waiting was not an option. We sought technology, innovation and, above all, partnerships. Operation Harvest is a demonstration that this union works,” said Alessandra Zanotto Costa, president of the entity.

This harvest season, Bahia is expected to produce around 1 million tons of cotton across more than 400 hectares, almost half of which are irrigated. According to the state, the scale of production and the characteristics of tropical agriculture have made security an integral part of the productive structure itself. “It’s about ensuring that everything necessary for production reaches the property and can circulate. There’s no way to produce in Brazil without these inputs, and their high monetary value makes them attractive to criminals,” explains the president of Abapa. She affirms that the operation's reach extends beyond rural properties. “The initiative also protects highway users and the population of the municipalities that will be covered,” she says.

Technology

In this edition, Operation Harvest will expand the use of technology in monitoring rural areas and highways. Proof of this are the antennas that provide internet access in remote locations, which equip the pickup trucks provided by Aiba, as well as smartphones. The teams will also use "surveillance batons," which record the date, time, and location of visits through tags installed on the properties. The initial plan is to cover 50 farms, with the possibility of reaching 300.

The cameras installed on the highways remain integrated into the system, while the Harvest Operation app, used since 2021, allows for georeferenced mapping of properties and rapid activation of the Military Police in risky situations.

According to the Military Police, crime rates in the region have decreased by 85% over the 12 years of Operation Harvest. For the general commander of the Bahia Military Police, Colonel Antônio Carlos Silva Magalhães, technology enhances the response capacity of the teams. “We are adding technology to enhance security, with new vehicles and Starlink antennas, which allow internet communication in different parts of the region and the state. We will also expand our work with drones and field teams. Our goal is to conduct an efficient operation, as were the previous ones.”

According to Aiba's president, Moisés Schmidt, the initiative also strengthens the coordination between institutions. "It's operations like these that truly provide support, bringing together civil society, the State Government, public security, and the municipalities involved."

Results

In Operation Harvest 2025/2026, 8.773 visits were carried out, approaching 15.824 people, 7.187 establishments, and approximately 6 vehicles. The actions resulted in 64 traffic citations, in addition to the seizure of eight firearms and three bladed weapons, two people taken to the police station, one arrest warrant served, and one arrest in flagrante delicto.

For Alessandra, the results show that the operation's reach goes beyond rural production. “Despite the name 'Operation Harvest,' this is not an operation that only benefits rural producers. When we protect the roads, combat cargo theft, and expand the presence of security forces, the whole society wins. The worker, the family, the businesses, the companies, the transporters, and everyone who helps drive the economy of Western Bahia all benefit.”