Agricultural Risk Management Thematic Chamber is launched

The president of Embrapa, Silvia Massruhá, participated this week in the launch of the Thematic Chamber for Agricultural Risk Management, considered an important strategy for the development of the sector in Brazil. The launch took place during the Workshop on Agricultural Risk Management, held at the Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa), with the presence of researchers, CEOs and business leaders from the insurance market. 

On the same day, the partnership for the construction of the First National Agricultural Risk Plan was also presented, and the launch of the Brazilian Resilient Coffee Farming project, which aims to offset carbon credits in the payment of the rural insurance policy.

For Sílvia, the importance of the initiative reinforces the recognition of the role of research and strategic strengthening for the more than 30 Embrapa units involved with the topic. Embrapa is one of the 57 public and private representations that will make up the Chamber, whose main duties will be to discuss and contribute to the implementation of strategies for agricultural development. 

“The decision to create the Chamber is fundamental, among other aspects, to address questions about the need for resources for research to advance,” she said. “The Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank took a decisive position in understanding this network”, she commented, highlighting the proof of trust in Embrapa’s work.

The Secretary of Agricultural Policy, Neri Geller, argued that the new forum is intended to bring into the Ministry of Agriculture the presence of actors who need to be heard. “Everything ends up revolving around remuneration, predictability and transparency and the agricultural sector needs this”, he commented. “If we want to advance in agricultural insurance, in support of producers, we cannot run the risk of signaling to the market something that will not be possible to comply with”.  

According to him, more modern and universalized tools will be needed, compatible with the importance of the sector for national development. Geller also said that Mapa will work to offer conditions for progress to be made, in conjunction with public agents, the economic team and the National Congress. 

“We will study the macro and what can be implemented soon, in cooperation with partners and Embrapa, which will play an important role, with suggestions for forms of insurance to continue advancing throughout the national territory”, he stated. “The challenges are in place and that is why we need to be surrounded by competent people who will provide support to implement the insurance policy that Brazil needs”.  

Investment

Representing the composition of the Thematic Chamber, Vitor Ozaki, who will assume the presidency, spoke about the motivation for creating the forum based on agricultural risk management. “My role will be secondary to leading the Chamber, because the leading role belongs to the Government and partners, who will guide the discussions that will take place”, he explained. The Chamber supervisor, Jonatas Pulquério, recalled the confirmation of the investment of R$ 579 thousand invested through the Decentralized Execution Term (TED) already signed, allocated to Zarc Management Level, through Mapa and the Central Bank.

“But the doors are open to encourage research, effective development and the effectiveness of this tool within the insurance market and the financial market”, he highlighted, referring to the budgetary limitations with which entities can contribute to insurance plans. action that helps progress within the scope of the Zarc Network.

Technical presence

Participating in the event were researchers from Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, José Ricardo Pezzopane, who spoke about Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc) Livestock, and José Renato Bouças Farias, from Embrapa Soja, who addressed Zarc Management Level (NM). For pasture-based livestock production, Pezzopane related the climatic effects that affect pasture production and the consequent animal occupation of pastures, the results of which were published in a Technical Note from the Ministry of Agriculture.

“Zarc is an important tool for planning, for the producer and contributes to the country promoting greater stability and lower risks and losses, through the transfer of technology”, said researcher José Renato Faria. According to him, non-irrigated crops, like the majority of grain-producing areas in Brazil, have water sources from rain and water available in the soil. 

“Soil management practices can promote better storage, recharge and distribution of water in the soil, increasing the volume available to plants and this is essential in times of rainfall deficiency”, he explained.