Belagrícola, leader in the Brazilian agribusiness
Focused on innovation and partnership, Belagrícola offers complete solutions for rural producers, from the development of the seed to the selling of the harvest, among which advanced grain cleaning and storage technology stands out.
Founded in 1985 by João Colofatti, in the small town of Bela Vista do Paraíso, in the north of the Paraná State, Belagrícola has done justice to the name of the city in which it was 35 years ago: it has evolved from a retailer of agricultural products to become one of the ten largest distributors of inputs and suppliers of soybean, corn and wheat in the country.
Currently, in addition to Paraná, it is also present in the states of São Paulo and Santa Catarina, with branches serving more than 200 cities. From the seeds to the selling of the harvest, the company is one of the largest solution providers for the rural producer. With a broad portfolio of products and services based on state-of-the-art technology, it offers inputs and technical advice using integrated business and service platforms, which include soil preparation and planting, crop monitoring, supply and application of high technology inputs, harvesting, storage and selling of the harvest.
Claiton José Silveira de Souza, executive manager of infrastructure and operations of the company, explains that the cleaning and storage of grains is one of the success factors of Belagrícola's operations because, as the winter crop of the off-season corn has intensified in recent years, the soybean behavior in the summer harvest has changed, producing an excess of impurity also in the harvest, since the entire cultivation cycle throughout the year became shorter in general. “The excess of impurities impairs the cleaning efficiency and performance, which, in addition to the losses, produced risk of fire in the dryers and increased energy and labor costs. Therefore, investing in maintaining the quality of grains with an advanced cleaning and storage system has become a fundamental differential”, he points out.
According to Claiton, Bühler technology was chosen because "we analyzed the cost-benefit ratio and came to the conclusion that the result in the medium and long term was certainly better". The first two TAS machines – cleaning by sieving and aspiration – were purchased in 2016, and today Belagrícola already has 20 units of models 204 and 206 with a capacity of 180 and 270 tons/hour, respectively. That corresponds today to more than 50% of the plant for the company’s grain cleaning and storage.
"We intend to purchase more machines gradually as a way to continue the strategic planning of investment in machinery improvement,” the manager says. “When we carried out the performance and efficiency test, we achieved a cost reduction of around 25% just with labor and energy, in addition to reducing the damage caused to the walls of the silos, as the product stored with excess impurity produced condensed moisture and consequent oxidation of the internal walls. Thus, we save about 40% in maintenance costs, and also the loss of water and dry matter has stabilized at around 1% ”, Claiton says.
We save about 40% in maintenance costs, and also the loss of water and dry matter has stabilized at around 1%
Claiton de Souza,
Executive Manager of Infrastructure and Operations, Belagrícola
Investing in maintaining the quality of grains with an advanced cleaning and storage system has become a fundamental differential.
Claiton de Souza,
Executive Manager of Infrastructure and Operations, Belagrícola
Watch the video and learn more about this success story.
The technology of these cleaning machines has also decisively benefitted Belagrícola's business philosophy, strongly based on the concept of “precision agriculture” in search of high-tech solutions to obtain maximum quality and productivity in the field. “Our main mission in storage is to maintain the identity of the grain, preserving its quality, as there are three fundamental pillars for its conservation: moisture content, temperature and cleanliness”. And in Brazil, until a few years ago, the focus was on production biotechnology only, without much attention to storage. "We helped change that mindset, and today we are achieving excellent results in terms of origination, maintaining the integrity of the grain until it reaches the end of the cycle", Claiton mentions proudly.
Following the evolution of technology aimed at the management of rural property, Belagrícola was one of the first Brazilian companies in the sector to invest in precision agriculture, using information management software to balance the use of inputs and increase profitability through digital platforms that allow identifying and mapping the productivity variables based on the response of the plants and correlating them to the management aspects. The objective is to be with the producer even more, working together over several harvests and understanding all the productive characteristics, mainly what needs to be prioritized to produce more, always preserving the sustainability of the soil and a management that provides profitability.
“We can say that if we consider all the flow organization processes, by changing culture, training work teams and increasingly raising the producers’ qualification, we are recognized as the innovation brand in the entire production environment, from supporting the producer to exporting grain,” says Rebeca Lins, administration director. "That is why we are also increasingly interested in seeking stronger partners who ensure long-term results."
With German technology manufactured in Brazil since 2010, the universal cleaning machines of the TAS line are the most compact and efficient on the market, reaching less than 1% of impurities. Its great durability and low maintenance costs are a result of robust steel frames and a cleaning system with rubber balls and laser-perforated sieves. Process reliability is ensured by safety equipment, such as the sieve frame oscillation monitor, which ensures protection against system failures. The cost to build the installation base is reduced, since the weight and useful area of the equipment are smaller than similar products. Its fully shielded structure allows dust-free operation, offering a clean and safe production environment.
According to Artur Lima, Bühler's sales manager for the grain storage area, Belagrícola is a customer of which Bühler is proud, since it is consolidated as a major national player, having the expertise and strength to take advantage of new market opportunities. And, thus, the interest in the partnership for the supply of Bühler machinery increases. “We were able to develop a project together in a true strategic alliance in which our equipment is tested according to the customer's needs, and thus we grow together. Brazil, despite being one of the largest grain producers in the world, still has a shortfall in storage systems, as it stores around 75% of the national production. There is a lot of room for advance”.
For the president of Bühler in South America, Damien Chapelier, this is an inspiring success story. Belagrícola's story of success has to do with the company's DNA, whose management is always based on innovation, passion and partnership. And in the grain sales area, it could not be different. “In the highly competitive agribusiness market, high performance and technology in pre-cleaning grains is essential to make a real difference in the end product. As a high-tech company always in line with the most modern practices of products and services, we see Belagrícola as a strong partner, which is making a decisive contribution to raising the quality standard of Brazilian commodities ”.
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