Some Challenges Faced by Mato Grossense Agribusiness.

I have just given an English class and it produced some fascinating insights into the difficulties farmers in Mato Grosso face. Such as water shortages.  The problem is to increase productivity. There is very little land available for crop growing.

I have heard it said that some people have an issue with crops being grown as animal feed protein when they should be being planted to provide high-value protein (which soya is, if I am not mistaken) for human consumption.  My class made an interesting point. We need high value- which means easily digestible or easily assimilated - protein.  Whether or not the source of that protein comes from an animal or plant source is a question of economics.

Mato Grosso is good for crops.  It has high levels of insolation, rain and humidity, and good topography. It is top for cotton, soya and beef production. It is third or fourth for cotton.

What does a farmer need to be successful in Mato Grosso? He needs knowledge and passion. He needs knowledge about the rains.  He needs to be observant and needs leadership skills.

Why leadership slills? The farmer needs to leead a team. For example, if he produces 2500 sacks of soya, he needs to employ 8-10 people all year round and 5-6 temporary staff.

He needs to know a strategy for cultivating his crops. He needs a pest and weed control strategy. He needs to be intelligent and innovative to create these strategies. He needs to employ technology. For example, irrigation systems. He needs machinery to sow seed. He needs spraying machines and combine harvesters. He needs money for seeds and fertilizer.  He incurs costs of R$2500 per hectare to produce a hectare of soya. A hectare produces a mean of 50 bags of soya. Each sack sells for R$55, according to my student. These values change yearly.  Growers need managment skills.

What qualities does a person need to be a manager? Trustworthiness, a liking for other people; empathy; charisma.  He needs to be an attentive listener. He needs to always be prepared.  He needs to be able to develop people especially when that person has a problem.

How to develop somebody? My class's approach is to observe the person when working alongside him or her, especially when he or she is under pressure. My students pay attention to the employee's performance under pressure, then give the person feedback when the person does something wrong. When the person does something right he receives recognition in front of others. Feedback is done privately and with the objective of helping him or her make adjustments. Skills need to be maximised and negatives minimised.