Fenasoja celebrates 100 years of soy in Brazil

2024-09-25 20:31:09

Fenasoja 2024 marks the celebration of 100 years since the arrival of soybeans in Brazil

The celebration will culminate at Fenasoja, a multi-sector fair, which will be held between December 29th and 8th, in Santa Rosa (RS), considered the “National Cradle of Soy”
In November 2024, Santa Rosa, in Rio Grande do Sul, will host a historic celebration: the 100th anniversary of the arrival of soybeans in Brazil. More than just an event, Fenasoja, which is the largest multi-sector fair in Brazil, will be a milestone to celebrate the legacy of soybeans, from its arrival to its transformative role in the economy, agronomy and social aspects of the country.

Fenasoja takes place from November 29th to December 8th in the city of Santa Rosa RS, which is considered the “National Cradle of Soy”.

Although there are historical records that point to experimental soybean cultivation in Bahia as early as 1882, it was in November 1914, with the grain brought by pastor Albert Lehenbauer, that soybeans were officially introduced in Rio Grande do Sul, a state that has similar climatic conditions to the producing regions in the United States.

Soybeans 100 years in Brazil (Photo from the overbr archive)

At that time, it was a virtually unknown crop in Brazil, and its introduction could be considered a simple experiment, since the pastor donated the seeds, which were brought from the United States in a bottle, to his neighbors with the aim of improving everyone’s income. These families were committed to producing more seeds to be shared with other families.
However, over time, soybeans found the perfect environment to thrive in the fertile soil and temperate climate of Rio Grande do Sul. The initial success in the South paved the way for the grain to expand to other regions, and its growth story would gain prominence throughout Brazil.

The centenary

“The centenary of soybeans in Brazil offers us a unique moment to reflect on the importance of this grain in the Brazilian economy and society. Soybeans have not only changed the agricultural landscape, but have also propelled the country to leadership in the global food market. Soybeans are much more than an agricultural product: they symbolize innovation, resilience and Brazil’s ability to reinvent itself and grow sustainably. The fact that Santa Rosa is recognized as the ‘National Cradle of Soybeans’ makes us very proud,” celebrates the president of Fenasoja 2024, Dário Jr. Germano.

Soybean plantation (photo from the overbr collection)

Evolution of soybeans over the last 100 years

Some dates later became important for Brazilian soybean farming. According to the study “Soy, Evolution”, by researchers Amélio Dalla’Gnol, Marcelo Hirochi Hirakuri, Joelsio José Lazzarotto and Arnold Barbosa de Oliveira, published in 2021 by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the first reference to commercial soybean production in Brazil dates back to 1941, with a cultivated area of ​​640 hectares, production of 450 tons and yield of 700 kg/ha. The first international record of Brazil as a soybean producer is from 1949, with a production of 25 thousand tons. Another reason for celebration was when soybean production reached the 100,000 ton mark in the mid-1950s. In the following decade, it definitively established itself as an economically important crop for Brazil, rising from 206,000 tons in 1960 to 1,056,000 tons in 1969.

In 1966, Operation Tatu began in the city of Ibirubá (northern RS), with the aim of recovering, improving and increasing agricultural productivity in the state, especially through the analysis and recovery of soil fertility. With few results in Ibirubá, the project began to be implemented in Santa Rosa, and had faster results and significant success. The initiative was a joint effort of several institutions and agencies linked to the primary sector of Rio Grande do Sul, with special participation by UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul), through the Faculty of Agronomy, Ascar/Emater, and the Rural Association of Santa Rosa.

Despite the significant growth in production throughout the 1960s, it was in the 1970s that soybean production received an important boost and consolidated itself as the main crop of national agribusiness, increasing from 1,500,000 tons to more than 15 million tons in 1979. This growth occurred not only in the increase in cultivated area – from 1.3 million to 8.8 million hectares – but also with a significant increase in productivity, increasing from 1,140 kg/ha to 1,730 kg/ha.

In the late 1970s, more than 80% of Brazilian soybean production was still concentrated in the three states of the Southern Region, although the Cerrado biome signaled that it would play an important role in the oilseed production process, which effectively occurred from the 1980s onwards. In 1970, less than 2% of national production was harvested in that region, with a greater concentration in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. In 1980, this production increased to 20%, and in 1990 it was already over 40%. In 2007, it exceeded 60%, with a tendency to occupy more space with each new harvest.

The increase in production in the late 1970s led the National Supply Company (Conab) to begin monitoring the evolution of the grain in the 1976/1977 harvest. In that cycle, Brazilian production was 12.14 million tons. Today, 100 years later, Brazil has consolidated itself as the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybeans, and the city of Santa Rosa is proud to be the starting point of this transformation.

Soybeans: the golden grain that transformed Brazil

Since its arrival in Santa Rosa, soybeans have played an essential role in transforming Brazil into an agricultural powerhouse and world breadbasket. The grain, which was initially grown in the South, expanded to the Brazilian Cerrado in the 1970s and 1980s, revolutionizing agriculture and the economy of states such as Mato Grosso, Goiás, Bahia and Mato Grosso do Sul.

The development of new technologies, such as direct planting and biotechnology, has enabled an exponential increase in productivity, making Brazil the largest global exporter of soybeans, responsible for around 40% of the world trade in the grain.
The growth of soybeans in Brazil was not only due to favorable natural conditions. Agronomic research, led by institutions such as Embrapa, was essential for the development of varieties adapted to the tropical climate and for the creation of techniques that preserve soil sustainability. These innovations allowed previously unproductive regions to become essential for grain production.

Fenasoja 2024: attractions and tributes

Fenasoja 2024 will have a special program to celebrate the centennial of soybeans, with several attractions aimed at both the agricultural public and visitors in general. Highlights include:

• Memorial of Agricultural Evolution: a special area will be dedicated to the trajectory of agriculture in Brazil, showing technological advances and current economic impacts.
• Symposiums and lectures: panels and debates will be held with important figures from Brazilian and global agribusiness on innovation in the agricultural sector, sustainability, biotechnology and the role of soy in global development.
• Exporural: 60,000 m², an area three times larger than the previous edition, when it had 20,000 m². In addition to the size of the area, business opportunities are expanded, with the presence of more than 60 exhibitors divided into 97 lots.
• Shows and Culture: Fenasoja 2024 will also bring 6 national shows and several cultural attractions, including musical and artistic performances, strengthening the link between agriculture and the community, with more than a thousand artists benefiting.
• “Our fair is one of the largest social events in the world organized by volunteers, and in the 2024 edition it celebrates one of the historical milestones of Brazilian agribusiness, which is the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of soybeans in Brazil. Our country and all the Brazilian people experienced, in this centennial cycle of soybeans, the period of greatest prosperity and economic, social and human development in the history of the nation.
• This edition of the fair is also special because Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of soy, sustainably producing food and renewable energy for billions of people around the world”, highlights the president of Fenasoja.

SERVICE

Fenasoy 2024

Date: November 29th to December 8th
Location: Santa Rosa Exhibition Park (RS)
More information:

1727310651
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