PROFILE
Carlos Magno holds a degree in
Agronomic Engineering from the Fe-
deral University of Viçosa and has
a Master’s degree in Animal Scien-
ces from the University of Kentucky
(USA). He joined Embrapa in 1974,
and since 2010 has been the chief
executive officer at Embrapa Fishe-
ries and Aquaculture. He was presi-
dent of Embrapa from May 1989 to
May 1990 and chief executive at Em-
brapa Cerrados, Planaltina (DF), on
three occasions. President of the
Brazilian Zootechnical Society (FBZ)
fromJuly 1994 to July 1995, and Sta-
te Secretary of Agriculture in Rorai-
ma, in 2005. He was president of the
TechnicalAssistanceandRuralExten-
sion Company of the Federal District
(Emater DF) from 2007 to 2009. In
the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
and Food Supply (Mapa) hewas Spe-
cial Advisor to the Secretary of Agri-
culture Surveillance, from May 2005
to December 2006. Since November
2014, he has been president of the
Brazilian Society on Aquaculture and
Aquatic Biology.
crisis, which got more serious as of 2015,
jeopardized the consumption of fish, as it
reduced people’s purchasing power. The
sector was equally adversely affected by
the lack of credit lines and high interest
rates, creating an unfavorable environ-
ment for new investments. Furthermore,
drought conditions took a heavy toll on
the fishfarming operations in the North-
east and Southeast.
In spite of these adversities, the sector
has been investing in technology andmod-
ernization. For 2016, although the scenar-
io of uncertainty has been serious, the ex-
pectation is for aquaculture to produce 600
thousand tons, slightly up from the previ-
ous volume. “This scenario is taking advan-
tage of the good rains and the consequent
availability of more water in the dams
where fishfarming is conducted in under-
water nets”, Magno clarifies. On the other
hand, he recalls that the progress in aqua-
culture will depend on the resumption of
the economy in the Country in 2017.
Even so, the chief executive officer at
Embrapa maintains that aquaculture will
continue on its rising trend. Despite the
political and institutional scenario in Bra-
zil, companies have merged to share their
competences and boost their presence in
the market with diversified products. In
the meantime, other smaller groups, or-
ganized either in associations or in coop-
eratives, have been improving the quality
of the products and the negotiating power
with suppliers. “Another important aspect
has to do with the incorporation of new
technologies, which are believed to inten-
sify the cultivations, with higher productiv-
ity rates”, he adds.
Divulgação
61
FOREIGNCOMPETITION
The purchase of fish fromthe foreignmarket dropped 18% in 2015, totaling 330 thou-
sand tons, compared to 403 thousand tons the previous year, from data released by the
Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC). The appreciation of the
dollar against the Brazilian real, that started in 2015 and further increased in 2016, made
fish imports more expensive. The identification of the direct impacts of imports on our
national aquaculture is difficult because there are different species involved. “Smaller
supplies of imported fish and the higher final price indirectly benefit the entire Brazilian
supply chain, considering the reduced competition for prices”, says Carlos Magno, chief
executive at Embrapa Fishery and Aquaculture. However, this effect tends to bemore in-
tense in frozen fish fillet where the tilapia supply chain is heavily present.
With the 14th biggest global production, Brazil is viewed as an important player in
global aquafarming by institutions like the Dutch Rabobank, leading agriculture financ-
er in the world and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Magno understands that
the Country has the potential to turn into a fish supplier, but urgently needs to simpli-
fy matters related to environmental licensing. “The supply chain needs the same incen-
tives given to other animal production chains, like isonomy in the exemption from the
fee of the Social Integration Program (PIS) and from the Contribution for Financing So-
cial Security (Cofins) on fish feed”, says Magno.
He equally stresses the need to invest in technology and research, in line with what
has beendone inother agribusiness supply chains for some decades now. Embrapa con-
centrates its researchworks on themost representative species of our national aquacul-
ture (tilapia, tambaqui and shrimp), including others that present market potential, like
a fish known as pirarucu. The studies are focused on the stages that show the biggest
challenges for increasing production and productivity: genetics, nutrition and sanity.
In Carlos Magno’s view, aquaculture represents the chance for diversifying the econ-
omy in the production of food laden with noble protein, whose global demand is rising
day after day. Among Brazil’s competitive advantages, the ones that stand out are cli-
mate conditions and the abundant supply of grain crops, major ingredient in fish feed
that represents about 70% of the production costs. “Sustainable aquaculture produc-
tion translates into support for the Country to provide for food safety to the population,
whilst generating jobs and bigger income”, he concludes.
