Emater's bean seeds have good development in several regions of Minas Gerais

More than 500 municipalities in Minas Gerais have, in recent weeks, seen a greener landscape in their rural areas. The bean crops formed from seeds donated by the agreement between Emater-MG (linked to the State Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) and the Ministry of Agriculture are already growing. Cultivated between February and April, the plants are in different stages, such as vegetative development, flowering and grain filling. More than 50 thousand producers benefited from seed donations, acquired through bidding with resources from parliamentary amendments, initiated by the Minas Gerais group in the Chamber of Deputies.

The seeds were delivered for planting in this year's dry harvest, with harvest scheduled for June. According to the project manager at Emater-MG, Walter Bianor, some producers chose to plant beans in consortium with other crops, such as corn, coffee, fruits or cassava. "Intercropped farming is a type of cultivation that involves the simultaneous planting of beans with other crops. This technique is used in sustainable agriculture, to increase crop productivity and improve soil fertility, reducing production costs, in addition to increasing diversity of foods produced in the same area'', he explained.

The selection of benefiting producers was carried out jointly by Emater-MG and city halls. Extension agents from the state technical assistance and rural extension company carried out the distribution and also provide guidance to farmers on the best planting practices, such as soil correction and crop fertilization.

Productivity

The administrative and financial director of Emater-MG, Cláudio Bortolini, explains that, with adequate soil correction and good crop management, the yield of beans donated to producers can be more than 600 kilos for each ten kilo package of seeds. "Part of the harvest must be used for consumption by producing families. The surplus can be sold, and another option is to save part of the beans produced for planting in the third harvest, during the rainy season. As they are first generation seeds, and excellent quality , can be used for up to two more harvests", says Bortolini.