11/05/2008 15h27
With more money in cash, IAC strengthens researches with sugarcane
Valor Econômico - 11/05/2008
Reference in the country in conventional genetic improvement, the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) - connected to the Secretary of Agriculture of São Paulo - completes 121 years this year with a change of course in its budget and investments, allowing a new injection of energy to the agricultural researches. The institute should close 2008 with a budget of R$ 30.5 million (US$ 14.2 million). R$ 25 million (US$ 11.6 million) already realized - compared to 2007's R$ 26.5 million (US$ 13.7 million). The extra-budget funds, from other public agencies and the private initiative, will exceed R$22 million (US$ 10.2 million), almost the double than last year. The financial relief, according to the director, was possible thanks to the organization of some sectors of the agriculture, mainly the sugar and alcohol sector, which has been raising the awareness of the producers about the vital role of scientific research in the increase of productivity of the culture. But the merit is also the new state government management's, remarked Zullo, "more focused on development than on bureaucracy". Therefore, it would not be a surprise that it is the sugarcane, the agricultural segment that most collect funds in the institute, which is gaining in this setting. Around 130 companies of the sector currently contribute with the researches of the Cane Center of the IAC, located in Ribeirão Preto. The interest for the culture is self-explained: sugarcane currently occupies around 7 million hectares in the country and it is estimated that it may grow another 50% in the next five years, while the demand for ethanol in the international market has been increasing. The sector already exports the equivalent to US$ 7 billion per year. In the Cane Program nearly R$ 3 million (US$ 1.4 million) is invested by the private initiative and nearly R$ 800 thousand (US$ 372 thousand) by development programs per year. For 2009, the expectation is to match the development programs to the partnership with the private sector, due to the projects presented to Fapesp, has announced the agency. Since 1997, the São Paulo institute has already created and patented 17 new varieties of sugarcane - 22% of the total released and about 10% of the sugarcane area of the country -, which assist producers inside and outside the State. According to Zullo, the new sugarcane varieties have the objective of expanding the production without increasing the area, improving saccharose contents and resistance to diseases and also adapting the culture to the climate conditions of other regions of Brazil. "The expansion depends basically on scientific research because it requires the development of varieties adapted the soil and climate characteristics of each place", said the director of the IAC. Zullo said that the success of the São Paulo sugarcane crops have been attracting the attention of other countries. Since the beginning of this year, the IAC has been exporting technology to Mexico, through a partnership with the Piasa group, in the State of Vera Cruz. There are also negotiations with Angola, Mozambique and Peru, which should begin tests with materials of the IAC.
