Daniel Simonsini with his son in a sunflower field in Hermoso Campo, Chaco. Many producers bet on this crop for its response to climatic adversities.
Perhaps for the essence of the activity and unlike other sectors of the economy, in the there is no risk aversion. Time, for example, can pulverize all the effort of a sowing. There is no bucolic life in that business, you are always on guard.
But lately, and hand in hand with a generational change, young people have taken over the factories: they define themselves as crazy about technology and are changing the production model. I am the enterprising farmers, this has little to do with the perception that sections of the ruling party have of the activity.
Much of this reflects the exhaustive work of the Center for Studies in Agribusiness and Food at the Australian University of Rosario, with methodological support from Purdue University in the United States.
During face-to-face interviews with decision-making producers who have harvested more than 750 tons of soybeans, corn or wheat, equivalent to more than 300 hectares on their own or leased land, they revealed 880 cases in the so-called core area of the Pampas. Húmeda (Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba and Entre Ríos).
The questionnaire consisted of 65 questions. The study area represents the national production of 75.7% of the soybean crop and 71.1% of the maize crop.
There it turned out that the decision makers are under 50. In medium-sized factories, the average age is 44 and in large and mega-large ones, 41. Another fact is that 48.9% have a full university degree and that the majority live less than 50 kilometers from the plant. 13%, in the same field.
“Young people and a high level of education are two key elements to be able to explain integration strategies through the addition of value, the association with other actors in the value chains, the predisposition of these producers to adopt new technologies” , points out. Clarione Bernardo Piazzardi, from the Agri-food Center of the Austral University.
The good news is that the 79.9% plan to make investments in the next 5 years. Interestingly, 30% say they will expand the hectares per sunflower in clear inclination for a crop resistant to climatic adversities.
23% bet on soy, 19% on corn and sorghum and 18% on more delicate crops such as wheat and barley.
When asked about their livestock plans, 30% said so he will reduce his herds of cattle for meat and dairy products, which indicates that they observe a trend in feeding starting at supplant animal proteins.
This surprised pollsters with the decision to increase the number of pig farms.
In terms of technology, the most used is the seeding monitor in 80%. The one with the lowest entry for now is irrigation per room, which 4.5% uses.
Their daily tools are selective spraying, photographic images via robots and drones, agricultural management platforms, environmentally variable planting and fertilization, satellite crop monitoring, online weather detection, just to name a few. . All thanks to machinery with tools that allow them to collect data and that’s it present in 74% of the companies consulted.
“There is a vocation for productivity, the ability to take risks, apply and develop technical knowledge for management and a great motivation to innovate and engage. These young people with a high level of education are part of a networked system of business organization that is changing the business model ”, adds Piazzardi.
The work will be one of the topics of debate in the Argentina Vision 2040 forum, which has as its motto, back to the Future.
It is organized by Adblick, which under the leadership of José Demicheli is one of the leaders in the trusts that invest in agricultural activity.
Bahillo assured that “there will be no changes to the rules of the game” for the pitch
Silvia Naishtat
Source: Clarin
