Brumadinho invests in technology to combat contamination stigma

The gossip season has arrived and, with that, Ceasa de Minas Gerais' largest supplier is already working to supply the Contagem plant, in Greater BH. Last year, Brumadinho delivered 5 thousand tons to the unit. This year, despite the expectation of a significant drop in the state's harvest due to climate events, the municipality should maintain its leadership position. The news is that some producers are using traceability technology to overcome the stigma of contamination of their products and enter more powerful and rigorous markets.

Marcelo Gustavo de Oliveira and his father are responsible for managing the largest gossip farm in Brumadinho. There are 35 thousand fruit trees spread over 70 hectares of land and an average annual production of one thousand tons. Recently, the property completed the traceability process for its products. Now, everything that leaves there has a label with a barcode and QR Code. “With traceability, we transmit more confidence to those who are purchasing”, explains Oliveira. To implement the technology, he had the support of an agricultural promotion program developed by Vale with the contracted company NMC Projetos e Consultoria and which, since 2020, has served 300 rural producers in Brumadinho and Mário Campos.

With around 970 hectares of tangerine crops currently, Brumadinho reached, in the 90s, the position of main producer of the fruit in the state. After the collapse of the B1 dam, local producers of all profiles began to suffer from the stigma of contamination of their products and had a significant reduction in the flow of agricultural production. Ivan Bosio, program manager for Vale, explains that, in addition to complying with legislation, the traceability initiative came precisely to offer more confidence to the consumer. “Traceability works as a quality assurance seal. Through the QR Code, it is possible to have detailed information about the product being sold, such as origin, responsible producer, planting and harvest date”, he details.  

João Carlos Monteiro Maciel has been an agricultural producer for over 27 years. He started by planting vegetable loofah, now he has tangerine and lychee as his main crops. He says that, in 2019, he lost practically all the markets he traded with. “People simply assumed that everything that was produced here was contaminated,” he recalls. João Carlos argues that traceability is an important ally for rural producers. “There is a market that only buys like this.”

According to Bosio, the tracked product generates benefits for both the buyer and the producer. “On the one hand, technology guarantees the end consumer transparency in relation to what is being consumed; on the other hand, it encourages producers to follow the best cultivation practices and facilitates their entry into the most demanding markets”. The expectation, he reveals, is that by the end of the year, all vegetable producers supported by the Program will have completed the implementation of traceability.

In addition to registering information in the system, the program's team of technicians and agronomists offers complete technical assistance for all stages of planting and management. During the process, the products undergo plant tissue studies. Three types of analyzes are carried out and, upon any non-compliance, management is corrected. Microbiological analysis indicates whether there are microorganisms; chemistry indicates whether the type and dosage of pesticides used in planting are appropriate; and the heavy metals category identifies any sign of contamination by these materials in plantations. “309 analyzes have been carried out since the beginning of the program and no trace of heavy metals has ever been found in agricultural products from Brumadinho”, states the Program manager.

Producers also receive support in the areas of licensing and documentation, management, communication, flow and marketing. “Technical assistance is essential for professionalization and improving productivity in the field. IBGE data show that producers who receive technical assistance generate income three times greater than those who do not have specialized support”, he analyzes.

Diversification to increase income

Even with the strength and tradition of Mexerica in Brumadinho's agriculture, producers are betting on crop diversification as a way of guaranteeing their livelihood and increasing income. The recommendation comes from the agronomists of the Vale program, who, in addition to encouraging different crops on the properties served, support the choice of products and the feasibility study. “Producers usually arrive with an idea. We study the viability of that according to the characteristics of the property and the profile of the producer, we carry out a market study and guide the entire migration process to the new crop. Having a plan B is very important in agriculture”, explains Bosio.

João Carlos Maciel is already preparing to return to cultivating loofah. With the support of the program, he will build a shipyard - a necessary structure to start producing. “The market is very good and I will be the only one in the city to offer this product.” Marcelo Gustavo de Oliveira will bet on corn and avocado as alternatives to gossip. “We cannot depend solely on one product. If we diversify production, we guarantee another source of income in case there is a problem with the main harvest”, he explains.