Pará, the state with the second largest cattle herd in Brazil, totalling more than 24 million animals, will benefit from a technical assistance, land and environmental regularisation and traceability program focused on calf production. The Sustainable Production of Calves Program, launched today (13 Nov), is a joint investment by IDH and FAEPA (Pará Federation of Agriculture and Livestock).
Adherence to the programme is voluntary and, in this first stage, it will assist 160 livestock farmers, with the prospect of reaching 600 properties in the second half of 2024. The tailor-made technical assistance considers the characteristics of the farm, and the result is a plan with guidance on production and administrative management, cattle and pasture management, sanitary adjustments, environmental regularisation and individual animal traceability. This work will be carried out by SENAR (National Rural Apprenticeship Service-Adm/PA) in collaboration with expert consultancy NatCap.
“Faepa has always been a forerunner and partner in initiatives aimed at the sustainability of agricultural activity and its technological development, which result in increased production, productivity and improved income for farmers. We have always taken the lead in building solutions for the productive sector and, particularly in the animal production sector, we have supported, together with the state, the implementation of the CAR, GTA and NFe, as well as vaccination campaigns. With this in mind, the Sustainable Production of Calves Programme is yet another initiative of the Federation, aimed at traceability in the beef cattle chain, with voluntary adherence by ranchers, in compliance with the legislation in force,” said Carlos Fernandes Xavier, president of FAEPA.
The model to be implemented in Pará has a successful track record that began in 2019 in Mato Grosso and already records more than 200,000 animals in the Sustainable Production of Calves Protocol, managed by the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA). In 2021, this system brought 100% deforestation-free beef to supermarket shelves, with tracking right from the birth of the calf. Another special feature is the use of the official Brazilian numbering 076 (ISO country code), administered by MAPA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock), which allows the identification of the country of origin of the animal.
“Brazilian farmers are the agents of transformation that the world is looking for and, therefore, they must play a leading role in building solutions for the sector. We have come together on this journey that respects the Brazilian Forest Code, guarantees transparency in information and data protection,” emphasises Daniela Mariuzzo, the executive director of IDH in Brazil.
The Sustainable Production of Calves Program is in line with the strategic vision of the production sector in Pará, known as PROPARÁ, and with public policies such as the sustainable development agenda together with the Sector Plan on Change in Land Use and Forests, known as the Amazônia Agora State Plan (PEAA).
To this end, it relies on the partnership of the Pará Agricultural and Fisheries Development Secretariat (SEDAP) and the Paraense Strong Livestock Association (APPF).
Main Picture (L/R): Abiec (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries) representative, Daniel Freire; FAEPA director (standing), Guilherme Minssen; representative of Fiepa (Federation of Industries of the State of Pará), Paulo Afonso Costa; Director of APPF (Pecuária Forte Association), Márcia Centeno; Executive Director of IDH Brasil, Daniela Mariuzzo; Secretary of Agricultural and Fisheries Development of the State of Pará, Giovanni Queiroz; President of FAEPA (Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Pará): Carlos Fernando Xavier; President of the Rural Union of Castanhal, Almir José Lopes Campos; President of the Rural Livestock Association of Pará, Fernando Dacier Lobato; Representative of the CICB (Center for the Brazilian Tanning Industry), Ricardo Andrade; Bruno Leite, General Coordinator of Animal Production at Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock).