Despite the already known surnames, there are new faces playing the agribusiness Santa Catarina. Young people make use of specialized knowledge acquired at universities and cutting-edge technology to combine business with pleasure and continue their family agribusiness.
Santa Catarina PRODUCER
According to the 2017 Agricultural Census, published by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), of the 501,811 people who work in rural establishments in Santa Catarina, 81% have family ties with the producer.
Furthermore, when we compare the 2017 data with the 2006 Agricultural Census, there is a great advance in terms of producers' education.
However, in 2017, 41,640 agricultural establishments had producers who had secondary or higher education. Of these, 11,323 had higher education, a master's degree or a doctorate.
In 2006, only 13,028 producers had completed secondary or high school education.
From rural exodus to agribusiness modernization
Young people looking for opportunities
Typical of municipalities with an essentially rural economy, the exodus from the countryside was common in Santa Catarina. This was especially true among young people, who left their hometowns in search of studies and new opportunities and who often no longer wanted to return to the family agribusiness.
Over the last 20 years, there has been a significant change in the behavior of young people born into families that own agribusinesses in the state.
Therefore, young people who previously had no interest in returning to the countryside are now seeing family agribusiness as an opportunity to work and apply their knowledge gained through investments in training and professional development.
Important production chains such as poultry, pig and cattle farming have managed to increase their productivity and profitability levels with the use of technology and qualified labor.
Although the result of this whole equation is income. With higher income, families obtain comfort and convenience in the countryside and no longer want to leave there.
According to the president of the Agriculture and Livestock Federation of the State of Santa Catarina (Faesc), José Zeferino Pedrozo.
However, it contributes to the success of the agricultural, livestock and agribusiness production chains. In general, it provides the neutralization of migration from the countryside to the cities.
— Entrepreneurs and rural producers who operate their properties efficiently earn income – and with income they can sustain a quality life. They will not leave the countryside. On the contrary, they will attract new workers, entrepreneurs and investors, revitalizing the primary sector of the economy — points out José Zeferino.