PROFILE
João Martins da Silva Junior pre-
sides over the Brazilian Confede-
ration of Agriculture and Livesto-
ck (CNA) and over the Deliberative
Council of the National Rural Lear-
ning Service (Senar), as well as over
the Bahia State Federation of Agri-
culture and Livestock (Faeb) and
Rural Company João Martins. Gra-
duated in Business Administration,
his professional trajectory is linked
to livestock farming for over 50 ye-
ars, and since 1970, he has devoted
time to entities of the sector. Hewas
the founder and treasurer of Bahia’s
Dairy Cooperatives Center (CCLB),
interim president of the Bahia Asso-
ciation of Cattle Farmers (Abac). In
the following decade, he joined the
Board of Directors at Faeb, to which
he returned as president in 2000, a
position he is holding at present. He
alsopresidedoverNationalRuralLe-
arning Service (Senar/BA) and was a
member of several State Councils. In
2012,hetookoverthefirstvice-presi-
dency at the CNA and, in 2015, he be-
came president of the entity.
In his view, in particular, it is the case of
the approval of a pluriannual agricultural
law, opposing the model in force, besides
the creation of annual programs, which
will provide for long term planning and
improved performance. He also consid-
ers of fundamental importance the prior-
ity to rural insurance and investments in
infrastructure and logistics aimed at im-
proving our competitiveness in the in-
ternational market, without overlooking
an efficient technical assistance system
that takes technology to middle class
farmers. “Rural producers are unbeat-
able inside their farm gates. Outside the
gate, they face difficulties for selling their
crops”, says Martins.
As far as exports go, the sector intends
to continue growing and find its way into
newmarkets. To this end, the official thinks
it very important to enter a vast network of
preferential trade agreements, whilst at-
tracting investments towards adding val-
ue to products that are exported and, in
the meantime, promote the quality and
sustainability of Brazil’s productive model.
Great responsibility is required fromBrazil-
ian agriculture in light of the challenge of
being one of the main countries that pro-
duces food and supplies the global popu-
lation, which will grow by 2.5 billion peo-
ple over the next 30 years, recalls João
Martins. Therefore, he concludes, the sec-
tor requires attention to its properties and
political stability that offers the desired
confidence in all businesses.
Despitethecrisis,
agribusinessismakingstrides
inGDPanditsshareintheeconomy
Wenderson AraujoTrilux
29
