Historically, rural holdings devoted to tobacco are involved with other activ-
ities, parallel to the production of tobacco leaves. Diversification has gradually
won its share over the years, where the highlights are such crops as corn, bean
and, more recently, soybean. Livestock operations are equally present on the
holdings, whether for family subsistence or for the commercialization of milk,
meat, eggs or hides. The tobacco supply chain itself guides the growers towards
investments in crops other than tobacco, for subsistence or extra income, be-
sides being a guarantee in years of unexpected tobacco crop failures.
The 2016/17 Crop Activities Report publishedby the TobaccoGrowers’ Associa-
tion of Brazil (Afubra), in its socioeconomic diagnosis of the rural properties of the
tobacco farmers, attests that corn is present in 23.3%of the tobacco farming hold-
ings (3,290 hectares), whilst pasturelands are found in 20.9% of the farms (2,967
hectares). Soybean has already outstripped black bean in importance, with fields
in 8%of the rural properties (1,140 hectares, against 265 hectares devoted to black
beans). The real highlights are the native forests and reforested areas, which, to-
gether, come to 3.6 thousand hectares, approximately 26%of the farms.
Other activities surveyed are vegetables, fruit, sugarcane and fish farming
ponds, besides livestock operations and agricultural products. Although diver-
sification is for real and present in the majority of the tobacco growing farms,
choices
Productionof tobacco shares spacewithgrains,
vegetables, fruit trees and other products,
besides forests and livestock operations
tobacco still accounts for the biggest chunk of
gross income. According to agronomic engi-
neer Marco Antonio Dornelles, from Afubra, in
a rural holding of approximately 14.2 hectares,
of which 2.416 hectares are devoted to tobac-
co, income of R$ 51,010.00 is estimated for the
2016/17 growing season. Corn, with the biggest
area devoted to it on the holding (3.29 hect-
ares), brings in revenue of R$ 5,812.00.
Dornelles explains that the real difficul-
ty for the implementation of other activities
lies in the logistics of product delivery, besides
crop commercialization and low remuneration
fetched by alternative crops. Furthermore, he
refers to challenges like the size of the hold-
ing and the hurdles involving labor. Nonethe-
less, he reinforces that Expoagro Afubra, pro-
moted by Afubra, was created with the purpose
to show new horizons to the farmer. “The rural
properties that are doing well are the ones that
have alternative sources of income. Diversifica-
tion comes as security for the families and eco-
nomic security for the tobacco producing re-
gions”, he concludes.
Multiple
Expoagro was
born with the
target to show
new horizons to
113
