Program launched to bring technology to Brazilian agribusiness

R $ 4.8 million will be invested in 14 pilot projects for the adoption and diffusion of 4.0 technologies. Deadline for applications is September 26

The program aims to increase efficiency and productivity in Brazilian agribusiness. Credit - PIXNIO

Sep 4, To increase efficiency, productivity and reduce the costs of Brazilian agribusiness, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) launched this Thursday (3), in partnership with the Ministries of Economy (ME) and Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI) and the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), the announcement of the Agro 4.0 program, which will provide financial support to projects for the implementation of 4.0 technologies in the sector.

R $ 4.8 million will be invested in 14 pilot projects for the adoption and diffusion of 4.0 technologies. Registrations are open until September 26th.

The call for tenders, aimed at companies that use 4.0 technologies in the productive sector, especially rural producers and agro-industries, which will adopt 4.0 technologies in their units, farms or plants. These companies will be able to submit project proposals in partnership with other institutions.

The Deputy Secretary for Innovation, Rural Development and Map Innovation, Pedro Correa Neto, highlights that digital agriculture is one of the innovation priorities for the Map and the Agro 4.0 Program is one of the great promoters of technology diffusion in the agroecosystem. "Actions like this strengthen the innovation network in Brazilian agribusiness, connecting solutions from rural producers to startups, increasing actions through connectivity, internet of things, virtual learning, blockchain and artificial intelligence", he says.

Thematic

In all, the notice includes four categories, related to the agribusiness production chain, including companies in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. For each category, application themes were identified, to which the projects must be aligned: (i) input segment (fertilizers, pesticides, feed, machinery and equipment); (ii) primary segment (agriculture, livestock, fishing, aquaculture); (iii) secondary segment (manufacture of food products); and (iv) integration of segments, including the tertiary segment (integration of links in the chain - covering information and communication technology services, logistics, among others).

The award ranges from R $ 300 thousand for up to four projects in categories 1, 2 and 3; to R $ 600 thousand for up to two projects in category 4. The selected projects will be known in 2020 and will have, after the disclosure, a period of seven months for execution and another 12 months for monitoring results.

National IoT Plan

Regulated in 2019, the National Internet of Things Plan - IoT aims to implement the Internet of Things as a sustainable development tool for Brazilian society. To define the Plan's strategies, the BNDES suggested four verticals for the application of IoT: industry, health, rural and cities. For each vertical, a Chamber was created. The Câmara Agro 4.0, led by Mapa and MCTI, aims to promote internet expansion actions in the countryside and the acquisition of innovative technologies and services in the rural environment. ABDI's Agro 4.0 Program was listed at the last meeting as one of the initiatives monitored by the Chamber.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, Marcos Pontes, highlights the important mission of bringing connectivity to the field, combined with new technologies. “The National Internet of Things Plan (IoT.Br) is strategic for Brazil's innovation and competitiveness in sectors such as agribusiness, health, industry, tourism and smart cities, which were the areas defined as priorities by MCTI under the Plan . Within agribusiness, the Internet of Things applications and other 4.0 technologies range from data collection for soil improvement to the precise application of pesticides, for example ”.