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Tomato farming has been an integral part
of the everyday life of farmer Luiz Sérgio
Melo Pereira for more than three decades.
The now 48-year-old farmer started grow-
ing tomatoes at the age of 15, inspired by his
family, rooted in agriculture. “I was born and
grew up in the countryside”, he proudly ad-
mits. The entire trajectory of life in the interi-
or, especially devoted to the production of to-
matoes, is attested by his farm, located in the
interior of Brazlândia, in the Federal District.
On a six-hectare farm, also known as Chácara
SãoGabriel, he periodically reaps the fruits of
his dedication and passion for the land.
Although his small-scale farm is diversi-
fied, with citrus, bananas and maize, it is ta-
ble tomatoes that provide for themuch need-
ed family income. Planting, conducted in the
staking system, occupies an area of 3.5 hect-
ares. The number of plants reaches approx-
imately 10 thousand, and harvest occurs
twice a year – the first in April and the sec-
ond, in September, after four-month cycles.
“I have even reaped about 600 boxes per one
thousand plants”, he says. With the farm ba-
sically devoted to the Giuliana variety, Pereira
is satisfied with the results and is planning to
go further into the business.
Since 2005 on the farm, the tomato grow-
er got support from the Emater of the mu-
nicipality to build greenhouses for protected
cultivation. The 357 square meter structures
are meant for diversification and for planta-
tions during the rainy season. “It is a chance
to earn extra cash”, he justifies. He began
to grow cherry tomatoes and salads in ear-
ly 2016, along with cucumbers, both in the
staking system, directly on the ground. Just
like the fruits grown in the open, the focus
are sales directly to vegetable dealers.
Although being a plant highly suscepti-
ble to diseases, the tomato plants grown by
Pereira do not suffer severe pest outbreaks.
According to the farmer, cultural practices
play a fundamental role, with rather simple
technologies that prevent these outbreaks:
natural barriers with banana plants and
light traps that attract insects, normal dis-
ease vectors. “There is no much secret for
good results. It is the experience of a life-
time, an awareness of growing only what is
in line with our available labor, and much
care”, he summarizes.
Married to Ingrid Taubinger Pereira, 47,
MODEL PRODUCTION
His dedication to the production of
tomatoesandhisinterestinkeepingwell
informed about the novelties of the sec-
tor have made Luiz Sérgio Melo Pereira
a reference in what he does in the local-
ity of Morada dos Pássaros. According
to agronomic engineer Nadja de Moura
Pires Oliveira, extension agent at the
Emater hub in Brazlândia, the farmer al-
ways attends technical capacity building
courses promoted in the municipality
and continues open to new productive
technologies. “I have been following the
family for two years and I confirm their
productive vocation”, says Nadja.
The technician explains that it is very
difficult to deal with the Cerrado region
soils, but the farmer has always used the
right cultural practices and his stretch
of land is very productive. Since he took
over the farm, 10 years ago, he has bet
on crop rotation and greenmanurewith
conventional and non-transgenic corn.
“Thecornfieldistotallyincorporatedinto
the soil as soon as first ears emerge. The
result is healthy soil and a high content
of organic matter. All soil analyses show
excellent results”, Nadja confirms.
Setting an example
FamilyfarminBrazlândia, intheFederalDistrict, isareferenceintheproduction
oftabletomatoesandthededicationoftheownerservesasaninspiration
Luiz Sérgio has three children, and he sup-
ports the family with the income from the to-
matoes. The eldest daughter, 26, is a student
at the local university, seeking a degree in
pedagogy, while the second son, Paulo Sér-
gio, 23, works with his parents. The young-
er, Sérgio Gabriel is only 10 years old, but
he has already made up his mind about the
future. His time is split between his school
hours and the curiosity about the land, and
he wants to follow the example of dedication
he has witnessed fromhis cradle, and contin-
ue on the farm, hoping for the best.
