Partnership brings management tool to fruit producers in Serra Gaúcha

The largest producer of fruits and vegetables in Rio Grande do Sul, the Serra Gaúcha region has been gaining more and more prominence and investments to continue growing. Crops such as peaches, apples, plums and, of course, the famous Serra Gaúcha grapes, among other crops, come, for the most part, from family farming. These productions even supply a large part of Ceasa in Porto Alegre and São Paulo.

However, today it is possible – and necessary – to make agricultural activity sustainable, both environmentally and economically. Therefore, to promote this production and boost family farming, Serra producers can count on the help of Credit Cooperatives, such as Sicredi. Far beyond financing, the first credit cooperative in Latin America started to offer tools that help solve the day-to-day difficulties of the property. This impulse comes through the startup Elysios Agricultura Inteligente and is promoted by Sicredi Pioneira. Through this partnership, tools are provided for the optimized management of rural properties.

These are solutions such as traceability and optimization of inputs, with real-time visualization of cultivation events. These records are stored through the Demetra application, which is the Digital Field Notebook developed by the startup. The Field Notebook allows the producer to dedicate his time to managing the plant, while the technology safely surveys and controls crop estimates and variables.
The solution developed by the startup was created by a group of UFRGS alumni, with an initial focus on the fruit and vegetables sector, which can be adapted according to the needs of each crop.

For Carlos Martinho Berres, agribusiness advisor at Sicredi Pioneira RS, producers have accelerated the use of technologies. “In this way, Elysios brings a solution that provides quality and safety to the entire chain, that is, to the producer, intermediary and consumer”, highlights Martinho.

In the case of grape producers, the objective is to guarantee high quality of the product, through traceability, monitoring of pests and diseases, accidents, among other situations impacting the production chain. A pilot project should begin in August with producers in the region, and it will be possible by the end of the year to extend it to all producers who are interested in and need the system to organize and qualify the property.

“Sicredi Pioneira is forward-looking on the importance of adopting technologies in the field. We believe that this partnership will enhance the production of fruits and vegetables in Serra Gaúcha, helping producers in managing the property and proving the quality of our crops", concludes the commercial director of Elyisos, Mário Apollo Brito.