Delegation of French farmers visits the Coopavel Rural Show area

A delegation made up of 16 farmers from the Metz region, in the Northeast of France, visited the Coopavel Rural Show area in the late afternoon of Wednesday, 30th. The rural producers have been in Brazil for ten days and pay visits to companies and cooperatives from the main agricultural regions of Paraná. Received by the president of Coopavel, Dilvo Grolli, they were able to learn more and ask questions about important current topics in Brazilian agribusiness.

One of the perceptions that most surprised the French on the tour of Paraná, contrary to what the press in that country reports, is that Brazil is much greener than people sell and report in Europe. Dilvo Grolli reinforced the statement by presenting data on Brazilian preservation. “Sixty percent of the country is protected”, highlighted the president of Coopavel, saying the environmental laws in force are quite harsh. “This number makes Brazil the most preserved country in the world today”, he highlighted. Only 7% of the national territory, of 854 million hectares, is dedicated to crops, equivalent to 63 million hectares.

Brazil does not need to touch the Amazon, because there is still another 7% available for new crop areas and half of what is occupied by pastures, 20% of the territory, can also receive agricultural crops. Dilvo reported that six Brazilian states (three in the South and three in the Center-West) are responsible for 78% of Brazilian grain production, currently around 240 million tons. “We are the third largest producer in the world, behind only China and the United States.”

The president of Coopavel spoke of the technological revolution that in 28 years transformed the country's agricultural numbers. The growth in productivity of the main commodities was 310% in the period, and the advance in the area was only 65%. At this rate, production will jump to 300 million tons in just six years. The biggest challenge, however, is infrastructure. But with the change of government, Dilvo Grolli says he is optimistic and trusts that major changes, for the better, will occur within ten years at the most.

Today, 65% of cargo transport is carried out by road and only 25% by railways and 10% by waterways. To reduce production costs, transport by rail and rivers and navigable canals will have to advance and there are already projects pointing in this direction. The government, which does not have resources for works like this, will release these projects to private capital. The French also received information about cooperativism and the importance of this system in the economy of Paraná. There are 70 cooperatives in the agricultural segment operating in the State and 60% of Paraná's agricultural GDP passes through them.

The executive coordinator of Show Rural Coopavel, Acir Inácio Palaoro, and the manager of the cooperative's technical area, Marcelo Dariva, also presented data to the French delegation. About the event, they spoke about its size and current status, with its 31st edition to be held from February 4th to 8th, and about Coopavel about its history and what it represents to the region, providing employment to 5,2 thousand people and counting with 5,5 thousand members.