Agricultural recovery

Producers from all over the country have already accessed almost 60% of the total of R $ 5 billion destined to the Moderfrota, line of financing reactivated by the new government

Predictions of the record grain harvest for 2016/2017, which may reach 213.1 million tonnes, have stimulated rural producers to invest in machinery. After a sharp drop in recent months, the sale of tractors and agricultural machinery shows reaction, especially after the resumption of the Modernization Program of the Agricultural Tractors Fleet and Associated Implements and Harvesters, Moderfrota.

Reactivated by the government, the BNDES line is focused on financing new and used items such as tractors, harvesters, sprayers, planters, seeders and equipment to benefit coffee. Rural producers individually or gathered in cooperatives may request the resources. Interest rates vary according to farmers' annual income and there is no limit to the amount of funding.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Map) confirm the rewarming of machinery sales: between July and September this year, producers from all over the country accessed almost 60% of the total of R $ 5 billion destined for financing by Moderfrota.

According to a survey by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Anfavea), the commercialization of agricultural machinery increased 61.3%, compared to November last year. In the same month, 5,331 were produced agricultural equipment and road -  an increase of 38.1% compared to the same month 2015.

With forecasts of oversafras and sales of machinery on the rise, the Ministry of Agriculture is studying to relocate, this year, R $ 2.5 billion of other rural credit programs to finance agricultural machinery.

Modernization of the fleet

The Paranaense Valdir Piazza Topanotti plant 3,000 hectares of soybeans on a farm 15 km from the city of Lucas do Rio Verde in the northern state of Mato Grosso. After two years of prolonged drought, the farmer hopes to return to the best historical averages of sack harvested per hectare planted.

To do so, he decided to invest. In September, he bought two new tractors to replace the ones he had used for 17 years. With the help of Moderfrota, he financed 90% of the vehicles. Without the line of financing, Topanotti believes that it could not buy them. "These tractors were directed to the distribution of fertilizers in the crop. Being a more powerful tractor, with greater capacity to do the work, then I believe it will improve my production ", he explains.

Sales growth

For agricultural machinery and tractor dealers in Mato Grosso, the existence of Moderfrota is fundamental and the outlook is promising. Walter Zacarkim owns five stores - one in the capital, Cuiabá, and another four in the interior of the state. He points out that 95% of sales are made with program funding."Without Moderfrota there is no agriculture, because the producer can not maintain the quality index in its products. Moderfrota comes to help [the farmer] to have the right agricultural machinery for farming. "

The entrepreneur cites as an example the need to apply an average of 400 kg of fertilizer per hectare in the soybean plantation, which would make practically unfeasible to maintain productivity without machines with that capacity of work.

Zacarkim also predicts that the segment will grow more. "We are very optimistic. Our sales this year are expected to increase 10% over last year, which was not bad. "

Also dealer of tractors and machines in Mato Grosso, Ernandes Vendrame opened the first store for 34 years in Cuiabá. The business thrived and today has three more units in the state. The focus is on small and medium producers. Only this year, he says, he has sold 32 machines by Moderfrota."Without Moderfrota, the farmer would hardly have a private resource of his own to invest in new machinery."

In this pace of recovery, the businessman estimates that his stores increase sales of this line of credit by 15% to 20% next year. "The trend for 2017 now is to grow because we have already been at the lowest level we have had in the production of [agricultural] and resale machinery," he says. 

Supersafra

The optimism of producers and machinery dealers in northern Mato Grosso is stimulated by the forecasts of the National Supply Company (Conab), which estimates that the 2016/2017 grain harvest may reach 213.1 million tons -  an increase of 14.2% of production compared to the previous harvest. In the specific case of soybeans, the projection is for a 7.3% increase in production, which could reach 102,45 million tons.

Carlos Alberto Simon is president of the Union of Rural Producers of Lucas do Rio Verde. Also a migrant from the south of the country, it arrived in the BR-163 region in 1985, and today it plants 1,000 hectares of soy and corn. He says that the rain regime has returned to normal and is therefore confident of increasing the harvest. "Planting started 15, 20 days before last year. And the crops are well developed. It's raining well. The expectation is a harvest well above the average of last year, "he says.

In line with Conab's supersafra projections, he believes the crop should remain above the average of 55 sacks of soybeans per hectare, which will ensure profitability for producers.