![\"\"](\"https:\/\/agribrasilis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Ricardo-Almeida-Netafim.jpg\")
Ricardo Almeida<\/strong>, the CEO of Netafim<\/p><\/div>\n AgriBrasilis – Why is there so little irrigation in Brazil? And in the case of precision irrigation, what is the adoption by farmers?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricardo Almeida –<\/strong> For 30 years, Brazilian farmers needed to prioritize investments in infrastructure, storage, logistics and machinery, which established a basis for them to professionalize their operations. During this period, irrigation was not a priority.<\/p>\n Today, with the basics established, with high land prices and the farmer’s need to differentiate themselves to remain in the market, irrigation \u201cfits in\u201d with the current situation, in which it is necessary to verticalize production, neutralize the effects of climate and optimize the use of resources, providing plants with exactly what they need at the time and quantity.<\/p>\n Another relevant fact is the unequal distribution of rainfall, a fact that is increasingly evident, as well as more intense weather phenomena, such as El Ni\u00f1o, which put agricultural production at risk.<\/p>\n AgriBrasilis – What is the growth potential of the irrigated area in the country?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricardo Almeida –<\/strong> Today, Brazil has approximately 8 million hectares irrigated by the most diverse methods. What we see is that, in the 2000s, 100 thousand new irrigated hectares were incorporated per year, in 2022, this number has already reached 400 thousand new hectares. Following the trend, Brazil has the potential to irrigate 20 million hectares in the next 20 years.<\/p>\n AgriBrasilis – How much does the Mercosur irrigation market generate annually? Which countries stand out the most and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricardo Almeida –<\/strong> Irrigated agriculture has a very strong penetration in Latin America in general, especially in countries that suffer from water shortage, such as Chile and Peru, which are those with the highest percentage of irrigated areas.<\/p>\n Brazil and Argentina stand out, mainly because there is an \u201cocean of opportunities\u201d of land with high irrigation potential.<\/p>\n AgriBrasilis – How can precision irrigation be applied to large crops?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricardo Almeida –<\/strong> Localized irrigation is a democratic technology. We have solutions that cater to small farmers, who do not always have electricity, with a \u201cFamily Irrigation Kit\u201d which works only with gravity, to large farmers with properties covering thousands of hectares.<\/p>\n For large crops, especially grain and fiber crops, the underground dripping technique was developed, which allows harmonization with central pivots (the method historically most adopted by this group of farmers). Thus, by combining dripping and pivots, the farmers can irrigate 100% of the area, with significant operational gains, from planting to harvesting.<\/p>\n AgriBrasilis – What are “subscription irrigation” projects and how do they work?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricardo Almeida –<\/strong> The “subscription irrigation” modality is an option for farmers and companies that need to convert CAPEX (capital expenditure) into OPEX (operational expenditure), so it is not necessary to acquire an irrigation system to have access to all the benefits generated by them.<\/p>\n In this model, Netafim designs, installs, operates and maintains the property’s irrigation system through a subscription, without the need for large initial investments.<\/p>\n Agribrasilis – What is Netafim’s revenue?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricardo Almeida –<\/strong> Since 2018, 80% of Netafim’s global operation was acquired by Orbia, a Mexican holding company that operates in several segments, from polymer solutions to construction. In 2022, the Orbia group’s revenue was around US$ 9.6 billion, with Netafim representing 11% globally.<\/p>\n
\n\n
“Brazil and Argentina stand out, mainly because there is an \u201cocean of opportunities\u201d of land with high irrigation potential”<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n