Deputy Diego Guimarães (Republicans) invited directors of the two largest irrigation system companies to settle in the Cáceres Processing and Export Zone (ZPE). The parliamentarian, a member of the Agricultural Parliamentary Front, represents the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso in the third edition of the Nebraska Mission, organized by the Association of Producers of Beans, Pulses, Special Grains and Irrigators of Mato Grosso (Aprofir-MT), which brings together representatives from various entities on a visit to the state of Nebraska, a world reference in irrigation technology.
This Monday (22.04), Guimarães visited the Valley Irrigation and Lindsay factories. “In these meetings, their interest in expanding the market in Mato Grosso became clear, as we have great growth potential and in this conversation we showed these two companies the benefits of establishing themselves in the Cáceres ZPE. They can produce and sell the products right there. Lindsay’s CEO made a commitment to go to Mato Grosso, learn about the state’s reality and talk to the government to have the possibility of establishing this partnership and having a factory in the ZPE”, explains Guimarães.
The state of Nebraska has approximately 3.5 million hectares of irrigated areas with approximately 100,000 drilled wells. Diego highlights that there is daily monitoring of the state’s surface and underground water resources, which provides security when planting. “They only have one harvest and Mato Grosso, even with a small irrigated area, already has two harvests. When we talk about irrigation we are not just talking about guaranteeing a second or third harvest, but about guaranteeing a successful harvest. The importance of this became clear with the water crisis we had in this last harvest”, points out the deputy.
Currently, Mato Grosso has around 200 thousand hectares in irrigated areas and, according to technical studies, could reach 4 million hectares. “Since last year I have been working so that the Government of Mato Grosso makes irrigation kits available to farmers, especially those who work in family farming, in several municipalities in Mato Grosso, in addition to asking for the creation of credit lines to finance systems of irrigation”, highlights Guimarães, president of the ALMT Industry, Commerce and Tourism Commission.
Representing the Government of Mato Grosso, the Deputy Secretary of Agribusiness and Investments of the Secretariat of Economic Development, Anderson Martins Lombardi, explained to North American businesspeople the benefits of the ZPE. “Thanks to Governor Mauro Mendes and Secretary César Miranda, this 30-year dream of the Cáceres ZPE became reality. The industry that is established within the ZPE gains several benefits. The product that will be processed there to be exported does not pay any taxes on the raw material and does not pay any taxes on sales. And the product sold in the Brazilian market has the best tax benefits in Brazil, which are the benefits of Prodeic”.
In the opinion of the president of Aprofir-MT, Hugo Garcia, in addition to selling products to the Mato Grosso market, companies can export irrigation kits to the South American market. “Another great advantage for Mato Grosso is the creation of jobs that these industries provide. We will be able to have more irrigation close to us and we will be able to carry out studies, develop new techniques and, without a doubt, we will increase our production”.
