To discuss the impact of rural fires on agribusiness in the state of Minas Gerais, SIAMIG Bioenergia participated, on Wednesday (11/9), in a public hearing promoted by the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Committee of the Minas Gerais State Legislative Assembly (ALMG). At the request of Deputy Raul Belem, the hearing addressed the consequences of the fires, especially on the sugar energy sector, given that the state is the second largest sugarcane producer in the country.
The debate met the request of the committee chairman, MP Raul Belem, who stressed the need to clarify that the production sector is not responsible for the fires, and is in fact another victim of the fires. “We are witnessing something unprecedented in terms of climate. We have never experienced such a severe drought and such damage from fires, hence the need to constantly reassess the state’s capacity to deal with them,” the parliamentarian said.
According to data from the Associação das Indústrias Sucroenergéticas de Minas Gerais (SIAMIG Bioenergia), in the Triângulo Mineiro region alone, responsible for 78% of the state’s sugarcane production, approximately 45,000 hectares of sugarcane plantations have been burned, of which 30,000 hectares are desolate. Sugarcane harvests are expected to amount to approximately 2 million tons.
The proposals made at the meeting were summarized in the presentation given by the President of SIAMIG Bioenergia, Mario Campos.
In addition to advocating for more efficient clearing of highway rights-of-way, many of which cut through areas of farmland, forest or dry vegetation, he warned of the need for more effective measures by Cemig in preventive maintenance against fires, with the replacement of old structures, such as wooden poles.
He also advocated the restructuring of the Previncêndio program, with measures such as the exclusive availability of firefighting aircraft in the most vulnerable areas during the critical period, from July to September. This program is a government task force to ensure a faster and more coordinated response in monitoring, preventing and fighting fires in the state’s environmental conservation units.
In this vein, Mario Campos also called for more investment in infrastructure and personnel for the fire brigade and the military environmental police, highlighting the firefighting infrastructure that companies operating in the sugar energy sector already have. There are brigades equipped with equipment, vehicles and even aircraft, which undergo continuous training and carry out monitoring and environmental education work.
Other proposals put forward for discussion include extending the deadline for repayment of debts of producers whose properties have been affected, maintaining highways with fire safety measures, through fire barriers throughout the marginal strip controlled by the roads, and requiring that Previncêndio firefighting program structures be available even outside the conservation units.
Also participating in the session were Deputies Dr. Mauricio and Antonio Carlos Arantes, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, João Ricardo Albanez, Director of Technical Management at Imater, Milton Flavio Nunes, Director of Sustainability for the Vimeg Sinar System. Mariana Ramos, President of the Latin American Academy of Agribusiness, Manuel Mario de Souza Barros, Legal Representative of the Association of Sugarcane Suppliers of the Campo Florido (Canacampo) Region, Renato Aparecido Roque, and Head of the Department of State for the Investigation of PCMG Crimes against the Environment, Bianca Landau Braille. Siameg Bioenergy with ALMG Portal Information –
