Milkyway
With 70 thousand dairy farmers in the State, Santa Catarina views the integration of livestock and cropping systems, along with the
cultivation of tobacco and pasture, as a determining factor for the expansion of this sector. It is nothing else than a more intense use of
the land, resulting into the production of more milk and meat. Airton Spies, assistant secretary of Agriculture and Fisheries, maintains
that the initiative of cultivating pasture under correct agronomic principles brings a lot of benefits derived fromgrowing pasture under
correct economic principles.
Besides bringing in income, there are other reasons to celebrate, like soil protection and enhancement. “Ruminants are marvelous
machines that convert biomass intomoney, throughmilk andmeat”, explains Spies. “Farmers can opt for the breeds of good food con-
version, like dairy cattle, beef cattle or even sheep, depending on themarket and the trade channels, on the availability of land and the
volume of pastureland available”. According to him, the nearer the commercialization hub, the faster protein is converted intomoney.
I
n the 2016/17 growing season, the traditional Corn and Bean after Tobacco Har-
vest Programwill also include pastureland. The suggestion is for introducing dairy
and beef cattle operations, besides sheep farming. The idea came from the supply
chain in Santa Catarina, where the integration of livestock and cropping systems
bring in income, are focused on sustainability and take advantage of the resourc-
es of the small holdings.
Under the coordination of the Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco)
for three years now, the program started three decades ago and has achieved expres-
sive results as an income source andmore intensive use of land under best agricultur-
al practices. Through agreements, recently renewed, it receives support from techni-
cal assistance partners and federations of Agriculture and Rural Workers in Paraná, Rio
Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, besides the Tobacco Growers’ Association of Brazil
(Afubra), Agriculture Research Support Foundation (Fepagro), Rio Grande do Sul State
Aviculture Association (Asgav) and the Swine Products Industry Union (Sips/RS).
Programthat
encouragesthe
farmerstogrow
cornandbean
aftertobacco
harvestisnow
introducingthe
cultivationof
pasturelandsin
SouthBrazil
“The introduction of pasturelands looks like a natural
initiative towards diversification in pursuit of a bigger pro-
ductive matrix, and the generation of income and agro-
nomic solutions, in the integrated livestock and cropping
system”, explains Darci José da Silva, technical advisor to
SindiTabaco. The programsuggests that after tobacco har-
vest the farmers grow corn (grain or silage), bean and/or
forage crops to take advantage of residual fertilizer, so as
to protect soil, interrupt the cycle of weeds, pests and dis-
eases, thus intensifying the use of the land, machinery, la-
bor and implements, splitting the costs and generating in-
come, or evenmuch needed inputs for livestock.
pastureland
Corn, beanand
Divulgação Souza Cruz
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