Soybean planting in Western Bahia anticipated

In the 2020/2021 harvest, soybean farmers in Western Bahia will be able to anticipate sowing the grain. The planting window, which historically begins on October 8th, was exceptionally changed this year to the 1st of the same month. With this, rural producers who cultivate the oilseed in the region gained an extra week to form their crops, as the deadline for sowing has not changed and remains December 31st. 

The measure, provided for in Ordinance No. 41, of the State Agricultural Defense Agency of Bahia (Adab), was published in the Official Gazette of the State of Bahia (DOE), on July 6th, in response to the request of the State Committee for the National Program of Asian Rust Control in the State of Bahia, of which Aiba is part.

The document, however, does not change the sanitary vacancy calendar, which began on July 1st and runs until October 7th. During this period, the farmer must remain vigilant and keep the land free of live plants, in order to prevent the spread of pests.

“The decision applies to those producers who express an interest in planting earlier. Thus, planting occurs with authorization from the competent body, and in a monitored manner, which is therefore safer, as it will be communicated. This does not imply a sanitary void because this refers to tigueras, that is, plants left over from the previous harvest. During the preparation of the soil to receive new seed, the farmer will certainly already have a clean field”, explained the coordinator of Aiba's Phytosanitary Program, Armando Sá.

According to him, the measure avoids the request, via injunction, for the destruction of crops formed earlier, as happened in the last harvest in the region, where a soybean farmer planted outside the window and had to respond in court. “Which does not mean to say that the new ordinance makes sowing more flexible according to each person’s wishes. It's not that. There are rights and obligations to be fulfilled,” he warns.

Supporters of the new calendar must sign a term of commitment and responsibility, assuming the obligation to meet the legal requirements regulated by Decree No. 11.414, of January 27, 2009, which deals with soybean planting throughout the state of Bahia.

The president of the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba), Celestino Zanella, received the information calmly. “Since early planting is authorized by the supervisory body, it is assumed that no producer will attribute health risks to neighbors. It is only expected that everyone acts in a responsible and clear manner, within what is stipulated in the standard. It is worth remembering that the decision is exceptional in nature, in order to evaluate how the region's crops behave in the face of the change”, he points out.