Capal celebrates 63 years and more than doubles its number of members in the last decade

This week, Capal Cooperativa Agroindustrial celebrates 63 years of activity, based on the driving force of cooperativism as a work model. Currently, the cooperative, whose headquarters are in Arapoti/PR, has 21 branches present in 13 cities located in Campos Gerais do Paraná and in the southwest of São Paulo. Capal's units, however, provide services to more than 65 municipalities in both states, totaling 179 thousand hectares of assisted area and a workforce of 3.711 associated producers. Compared to 2013, the number of cooperative members increased by 136,98% in 10 years.

In addition to the relationship of responsibility and transparency that Capal assumes with its members, there are specific factors that justify the significant entry of new members. The executive president of the cooperative, Adilson Roberto Fuga, cites the strategic planning prepared by the board, which includes the work of visits and invitations to local producers and the expansion of the cooperative's services.

“In our plan, we mapped out all the areas in which Capal operates and defined where to move forward. And this involves investments made in the municipalities, which guarantees more security for the producer to enter as an associate, being sure that we will provide all the necessary inputs to develop their activity, in addition to technical assistance, receipt and marketing of their production in an efficient manner. safe”, explains Adilson.

In recent years, Capal's expansion plan was also responsible for the increase in the number of cooperative members. Along with the opening of new branches, some events can be highlighted, such as the incorporation of COAC (Cooperativa Agropecuária Caete), in Curiúva/PR; the acquisition of the coffee industry in Pinhalão/PR, which resulted in an exponential increase in coffee producers among the cooperative members; and the acquisition of the Seed Processing Unit (UBS), in Wenceslau Braz/PR, expanding Capal's presence in the seed market and being an attraction for new producers.

“Not to mention the intercooperation that we are part of together with other cooperatives in the region. All of Capal's steps, from planning to development and execution, are aimed at serving its associated producers, and this is the essence of cooperativism”, adds Adilson.

Cooperator Antônio Rosolem manages 210 hectares of coffee farming in Carlópolis/PR, in the Norte Pioneiro region. A Capal cooperative member for approximately 20 years, he recalls the difficulties he faced before joining the cooperative. “One of the main problems was logistics, because he bought inputs from third parties, and needed to buy in bulk due to the difficulty of storing all the products on the property. Now, the situation is different, because I purchase the appropriate quantity directly through the cooperative, which is quite advantageous because it saves work and saves money at the time of purchase,” he comments.

Another point that Antônio highlights is the monitoring of technical assistance provided by the cooperative. According to the coffee grower, his productivity increased considerably after inspection visits by Capal professionals. “Before, there was no agronomist to recommend the ideal product. Today, we call the unit, the technician is attentive, goes to the property, analyzes the crop, makes corrections and recommends the right product, whether for prevention or treatment of a pest. I observe that cooperativism added a lot to my results”, declares Antônio.

Resident of Taquarituba/SP, where he grows soybeans, corn, wheat and beans, cooperative member Airton Pacheco is an example of family succession in the countryside. Together with his sister Milena, he manages the family's 1.400-hectare property, the largest area of ​​which is reserved for planting sugar cane. When he decided to explore other cultures, Airton became an associate at Capal and has remained there for 7 years.

“In addition to the agronomists providing technical assistance, who help a lot on a daily basis, the cooperative’s work facilitates the negotiation of products, is well organized in terms of storing and receiving grains, and is agile in all matters of input logistics, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides so as not to leave the producer in the lurch”, he praises.

Cooperative member Ana Lúcia Camargo says that, before joining the cooperative, she produced 150 liters of milk per day on her property in Itararé/SP. During this period, she did not receive technical assistance support. After she joined Capal, Ana Lúcia saw her dairy farming production have a positive result, four times greater. “Not even in my dream did I imagine that I would reach 700 liters of milk daily, and I attribute all the success to the veterinarians, zootechnicians and professionals at the cooperative. They always helped me with the care of the heifers, genetic improvement, with the hygiene and health of the milkmaids and the organization of the cupboards. I have nothing but praise.”

Alongside her family, her husband Antonio, and her 15-year-old son, Harold, Ana Lúcia says that, together, they think internally, and Capal comes in to resolve all external issues, from property maintenance until the commercialization of quality milk. “Everyone does their part. There are several heads thinking together with a common objective, which is productivity growth, because I believe that no one prospers if they are alone”, she says.

"The beginning of a new cycle brings the possibility of looking back and understanding how we got here and looking forward to chart the path towards where we want to get. Everything we achieved was thanks to the participation of people who cooperate and work with us, the walkers on our journey towards success”, concludes Adilson, executive president of Capal.