Digital AgroNordeste promotes innovation in agriculture in the Brazilian semi-arid region

At an event in Campina Grande (PB), this Tuesday (20), Mapa and MCTI presented the federal government's results for the Brazilian Semiarid region. During the event, held at the headquarters of the National Semiarid Institute, Research Unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (INSA/MCTI), the AgroNordeste Digital Program was presented, which will encourage technology-based entrepreneurship and the structuring of ecosystems of agricultural innovation in Northeast Brazil.

"Connectivity is fundamental for the development of Brazilian agriculture, which is a global model. We need to make sure it also reaches small producers, so that they are able to have more income, more dignity and a happier life", said the minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Marcos Montes.

AgroNordeste Digital's actions involve the creation and strengthening of regional innovation ecosystems; the promotion of technological entrepreneurship; encouraging learning networks and exchanging experiences; and Rural Connectivity. To develop these actions, in 2022, priority was given to the Regional Agricultural Innovation Ecosystems of Vale do São Francisco (PB), Vale do Jaguaribe (CE), Vale do Açu (RN); Oeste Baiano (BA) and Cariri Paraibano (PB).

In these regions, there was mobilization and involvement to boost technology-based initiatives. In addition, events and rapprochement between investors and local startups were held, in order to support the professionalization of these companies, systematizing and consolidating all experiences.

According to Mapa's Secretary of Innovation, Sustainable Development and Irrigation, Cléber Soares, Agronordeste Digital aims to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and the development of startups. “It also promotes the connection between the producer, the challenges of the productive sector, investors, science and technology institutes to bring more wealth, more technological solutions and a better quality of life to rural people, especially in the Brazilian semi-arid region”.

In October, as a concrete development of the actions already developed, a broad call for startups will be launched, the largest call for startups in agriculture in the region, the Startup Challenge for AgroNordeste Digital, providing opportunities for articulation with investors and the maturation of regional initiatives.

This Tuesday, Mapa also promoted a Workshop to bring actors closer to the region’s ecosystems. The objective was to exchange experiences in addition to learning about new technologies that are used in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

AgroNordeste Plan

The event also presented the results of the AgroNordeste Plan, created in 2019, to boost small and medium producers, through the integration of public actions and policies, the economic, social and sustainable development of the Northeast Region and the north of Minas Gerais and Holy Spirit. "There are several ministries involved in this program, which is a success. It has already served more than 52 thousand families, bringing development to the Northeast, especially for small farmers", said minister Marcos Montes.

In Paraíba, the Plan focuses its action on Cariri, working on the development of sheep and goat production chains (sheep and goat farming for the production of meat, milk, leather and wool) and beef.

After more than three years of implementation, AgroNordeste brought results such as:

• In partnership with Banco do Nordeste, 709 thousand credit operations were generated in 230 municipalities, reaching a total of R$12,5 billion invested. In addition to the recently launched Notice of the Economic, Scientific, Technological and Innovation Development Fund, Fundeci, dedicated to financing technology transfer and dissemination projects in the 16 priority territories of AgroNordeste;

• With support from Senar, more than 31 thousand rural properties have already been served in 757 municipalities, totaling more than 460 thousand services;

• The partnership with Sebrae has already benefited more than 20 thousand producers in 50 thousand services and 485 municipalities;

• Incra delivered 10.700 domain titles in 651 settlement projects within the prioritized AgroNordeste territories;

• Conab donated, through PAB Simultaneous Donation, more than 64 thousand tons of food, benefiting 537 thousand family farmers in 487 northeastern cities;

• The Banco do Brasil Foundation contributed to the project to add value and improve cashew production in three states in the Northeast: Piauí, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte;

• In Campina Grande, with the partnership of INSA, the Milk Quality Laboratory is being implemented to monitor the quality of milk and dairy products in the Northeast, which will serve the entire Northeast;

• Embrapa produced diagnoses for 13 territories in AgroNordeste. Embrapa Caprinos e Ovinos, with the support of Senar-PB, trained more than 600 field agents in production systems for these animals. These agents went into the field, within the scope of AgroNordeste, multiplying and transferring what they learned;

• SISBI-POA joined the 11 states that make up the AgroNordeste territory;

• The first Geographical Indication of 2022 was for honey from the North of Minas Gerais, the area covered by AgroNordeste;

• In Sumé, in partnership with the Federal University of Campina Grande, the Smart Farm Technology Diffusion Project is being implemented, intelligent monitoring of agricultural activity with 4.0 technologies.

Brazilian semi-arid

The Brazilian Semiarid extends across the nine states of the Northeast region (Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia) and also across the north of Minas Gerais.

In total, it occupies 12% of the national territory and is home to around 28 million inhabitants divided between urban (62%) and rural (38%) areas, making it one of the most populated semi-arid areas in the world. It is a rich region in several aspects: social, cultural, environmental and economic, and it is there that the National Semi-Arid Institute (INSA) operates.

Also participating in the event were the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Paulo Alvim, the president of Incra, Geraldo Melo, the president of Embrapa, Celso Moretti, the deputy secretary of Family Agriculture and Cooperatives at Mapa, Nelson Andrade, the president of Sebrae , Carlos Melles, the director of Insa, Mônica Tejo, the municipal secretary of Science and Technology of Campina Grande, Larissa Almeida, and the Agribusiness superintendent of Banco do Nordeste Luiz Sérgio Farias Machado.