Head of Embrapa presents the governor with perspectives for soybeans in SE

The general head of Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros (Aracaju, SE), Manoel Moacir Macedo, was received by governor Jackson Barreto on Wednesday (18) in his office. Accompanied by the head of Administration, Aline Moura, and the coordinator of the Citizen Service Service (SAC Embrapa), João Quintino, he presented the results of the management of the Embrapa Unit in recent months and the prospects for production and export of soy in Sergipe .

Moacir handed the governor a summary documentwith the highlights and main achievements of the management of Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros in the areas of Research and Development, Communication and Technology Transfer and Administration and Support. which was distributed at the last Embrapa management meeting, in Brasília during the Company's anniversary week, at the end of April.

The meeting allowed Macedo to present the proposal 'SEALBA - region with high agricultural potential in the Northeast - new agricultural frontier', which seeks to combine research actions and State policies to promote the production of grains of high commercial value. The main focus is on the introduction of soy as a commercial alternative combined with corn, already traditional in the region, in areas of Sergipe, Alagoas and Bahia (represented by the acronym SEALBA), with the ease of transporting production abroad through the Port of Sergipe .

Among the potential for grains in the region, it is worth highlighting the logistical advantages of having a port terminal close to the production areas, which significantly reduces freight costs, combined with the excellent results of the tests carried out by Embrapa in the Coastal and Agreste Tables of Sergipe, with dozens of cultivars surpassing national averages and productivity.

The governor thanked him for the visit and informed that the State Secretary of Agriculture, Esmeraldo Leal, is already looking forward to this experimental work on soybean cultivation. "It is important now that we know Embrapa's experience in experimental cultivation areas. The government is reassured by this excellent work carried out by Embrapa. We know how important this partnership is", said Jackson Barreto.

*With information from Agência Sergipe de Notícias

SEALBA proposal
Read below the executive summary of the SEALBA proposal prepared by researchers and analysts from Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros (Aracaju, SE)

SEALBA - region with high agricultural potential in the Northeast - new agricultural frontier

Among the agricultural regions in the Northeast of Brazil, the region formed by municipalities in the States of Sergipe, Alagoas and Northeast Bahia, was identified by Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeira as having agricultural potential, still little explored. This territorial organization called "SEALBA", a term formed by the acronyms of the States of Sergipe, Alagoas and Bahia, is made up of 171 municipalities, with 69 municipalities located in Sergipe, 74 in Alagoas and 28 in the northeast of Bahia and with a population of approximately 5 (five) million inhabitants. It is noteworthy that 33,2% of the SEALBA area is in the state of Sergipe (1.707.815 ha), 36,1% in Alagoas (1.859.438 ha) and 30,7% in Bahia (1.581.688 ha), totaling 5.148.941 there are.

The territory is basically made up of two types of biomes. In the portion closest to the coast, the Atlantic Forest predominates with 68% of the territory. In the interior portion, the Caatinga stands out with 32% of the aforementioned territory. In general, SEALBA's agricultural area is made up of properties ranging from 100,1 to 500,0 hectares. However, properties of 10,1 to 50 ha form a representative group of this territory.

The main criterion for delimiting SEALBA was the occurrence of rainfall in volumes greater than 450 mm, in the period from April to September. This rainfall is sufficient for grain cultivation, a characteristic identified as having high potential for SEALBA's agricultural expansion.

Based on this reality, Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros proposes State intervention in this territory, with potential use of more than four million hectares, strategically located, and with road logistics, research organizations and innovation network, consumer market, governance state-owned and port terminals. Furthermore, they highlight the low rates of social and economic development in one of the poorest regions of the country, lacking public policies for food and energy production, in addition to enabling the growth of exports and promoting social mobility for a new rural middle class. in the Brazilian Northeast.

This territory lacks climate risk zoning for soybean cultivation (already being finalized by Embrapa and about to be published by the Ministry of Agriculture); of storage units and rural producer cooperatives, being little covered by public policy, as the vast majority are focused on living with drought in the Semiarid region.

As a difference, within an intervention model that combines the vision of territorial and sustainable development, SEALBA presents the following advantages: different planting time in relation to the Center-South and the MATOPIBA. Possibility of becoming a hub for the production of soybean seeds and irrigated crops in the Baixo São Francisco region, mainly fruit trees and rice. Expansion of grain cultivation and ILPF in degraded pasture areas. Suitable for the production of energy grasses, such as energy cane, elephant grass and sorghum, in addition to the production of native fruit plants and roots and tubers. Furthermore, the existence of sugar and ethanol plants and agro-industries such as the Maratá Group, Aurantiaca, Coringa, GranBio, SABE Alimentos, Bahia Specialty Cellulose/Copener, the latter, located in Camaçari-BA, but with the majority of its production area, stands out. of eucalyptus within the SEALBA region.