Gaucho wheat: low profitability compromises income

With about 50% of the harvest completed, the wheat crop in Rio Grande do Sul is advancing under the weight of frustration in the countryside. This assessment comes from the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of the State (FecoAgro/RS), which points to low profitability and widespread dissatisfaction among producers, which may lead to a reduction in the cultivated area next year. According to the president of the entity, Paulo Pires, the strategy adopted by many producers was one of "legitimate defense": to contain losses, there was less technological investment in the crops. The result is productivity below expectations and inferior quality of the harvested grain. It is estimated that total production will exceed 3.7 million tons. Despite the tradition and importance of wheat as a winter crop in the state, the current economic scenario exacerbates dissatisfaction. "The producer who harvested 50 sacks per hectare, selling at R$ 56.00, accumulates a loss equivalent to 11 ...