The largest national producer of onions, Santa Catarina is looking for alternatives to improve the infrastructure of the production sector. This Thursday, the 18th, the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Altair Silva, was in Ituporanga for a meeting with leaders and rural producers from ten municipalities to discuss programs and projects that can support investments in storage and minimize losses from drought and hail.
"We had an important meeting with representatives of the onion production sector. A crop of great importance for the economy of Santa Catarina and even more so for the Alto Vale do Itajaí, which is the main producing region. The farmers presented their demands, mainly for equipment and support to combat the drought. And we will work to serve the municipalities, strengthen local production and improve results in rural areas of Santa Catarina", highlights secretary Altair Silva.
Santa Catarina accounts for approximately 30% of Brazilian onion production and a large part of the crops are concentrated in the Alto Vale do Itajaí. Farmers in the regions of Ituporanga and Rio do Sul maintain around 9 thousand hectares planted and expect to harvest 190 thousand tons of onions this harvest. According to the analyst at the Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning (Epagri/Cepa), Jurandi Gugel, in both regions, the harvest had losses of approximately 70 thousand tons in relation to the initial harvest estimate due, mainly, to the damage caused by hail and drought.
The activity was also impacted in 2020 by Covid-19, especially in the first half of the year, the crop planting period, when there is a need to hire labor. "Although we have records of losses caused by climate problems, the harvest is considered good in terms of the sanitary quality of the bulbs, allowing, in most properties, storage conditions for longer periods of time and, in this way, enabling the producer to evaluate when to market the production , as the market remains heated", he explains.
During the meeting, rural producers were able to learn more about programs and projects that can support investments in improving onion production in Santa Catarina. "Epagri's work is also fundamental for the development of genetic material, with new onion cultivars, technical assistance and management, which are essential for us to have better results in reducing production costs and more profitability for Alto Vale producers" , highlights Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Ricardo Miotto.
Farmers have access to rural credit financing, such as PRONAF, which allows them to access PROAGRO and also Rural Insurance, in order to reduce economic risks caused by climate problems. Producers can also count on the support of interest-free financing via the Rural Development Fund (FDR) to strengthen agricultural production, improve the production process, add value and innovate. Resources can also be used to purchase goods, inputs and services.
To minimize the impacts of the drought in Santa Catarina, producers can also access new projects to support the construction of water capture and storage and irrigation structures. The Secretariat offers both interest-free financing and interest subsidies on financing contracts with banking institutions.
Producers interested in participating in the Department of Agriculture's programs should contact Epagri in their municipality.
With more than eight thousand producers dedicated to onion cultivation, with a planted area of 17.434 ha. The state accounts for approximately 30% of national production.
Estimates are that more than 389,9 thousand tons of vegetables will be harvested this season - a 24% reduction compared to expectations, which is explained by losses caused after hail, windstorms and drought.
The regions of Rio do Sul and Ituporanga hold more than 50% of the area planted with onions in Santa Catarina.
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