Canola crop gains space and focus in the region

Producers have great income option in the winter. Canola has demonstrated to be an important alternative as raw material for production of biodiesel.

Canola crop has become the focus among winter crops grown in the region. Because of significant growth in the area in the last few years, stimulated by real guarantees of the market in its commercialization, the use of idle areas in the winter and because crop rotation is an important alternative, canola has been gaining focus and attracted the producers' attention. And that is evidenced by the quantitative and qualitative results. Quantitatively, with the domain of the technological process, technical monitoring and research support, the area has grown, thus professionals are increasingly closer to producers for support and technical assistance.

BSBIOS, a biodiesel producer industry, located in Passo Fundo, proposes to organize vegetable oil crops programs for biodiesel production. Therefore, it has accomplished a developing program for canola crop since it is an important alternative for winter crops, growth diversification and for turning income increase of winter crops possible.

Because the scenario for biodiesel production is promising, there is a large demand for vegetable oil plants to supply this market, and canola crop has showed to be an important alternative as raw material for the production of biodiesel. Its importance is strengthen by the areas available in our region in the winter, by the technological domain on production factors, specifically growth and harvest, also because it is an important crop to be included in a production system based on crop rotation principles, commercialization guarantees and now, before the agroclimatic zoning publishing for the crop, the availability of resources feasibility for crop costs with guarantees of agricultural assurance (PROAGRO).

One of the principles of the Development Sector of BSBIOS is the technical monitoring of the areas in order to reach better results. Qualitatively, the crop productivity and profitability indexes show their potential based on years of monitoring and analysis of productivity and profitability results. "Our objective is to demonstrate to producers that the crop has commercial and technical feasibility, area to grow and guaranteed market, and this is very important to the producer, thus it provides good results to this new crop, states Agroomist Fábio Junior Benin, Coordinator of the Development Sector of BSBIOS. Allied to this work of the crop development, directing technical capability works, transference of technology and articulation before financing institutions for credit and cost release, BSBIOS organized purchase politics of all production with competitive prices. The acquisition of the production before purchase guarantee contracts uses as price index the commercial value for soybean crop. Before this characteristic, canola has been named as "winter crop". It also has attracted the producers because its profitability and liquidity due to its great demand in the market. This way, BSBIOS makes an alternative of commercialization possible, with real guarantees for costs with inputs, besides good prices for the exceeding production.

Since the biodiesel market has grown, by increasing the mixture to 4% from June this year, the demand for vegetable oils will be proportionally better, and this consolidates a large consuming market to which the canola crop canola crop will be directed. Based on its planning, BSBIOS aims at the external market, mainly the European market, which uses colza oil as pattern oil for biodiesel production, with similar chemical characteristics to canola oil. The expectation is that for crop 2009, BSBIOS develops a total of 15.000 ha, distributed in North and Northwest regions of RS and SC. These numbers are the result of a joint effort between BSBIOS, cooperatives, grain producers and partner producers in the region, research bodies and rural extension and financing institutions, each one focused in its work and providing structure to the canola development program. Yet, it shows the importance this crop has been taking in the region, since in 2007, BSBIOS developed in field around 3.500 ha, in 2008 it reached 7.000 ha, and in this crop something around 15.000 ha grown in the region, significant increase and resulting from differentiated work strategies, with price guarantees, technical assistance and technological advances, efforts achieved by BSBIOS and its partners in the development program.

The areas are in the stage of flowering, with a good crop stand. This situation is very important for the crop, thus with an adequate initial establishment it is possible to set an income potential and positive final results and they will also be determining for the increase of growing area.