Agricultural entities from the Maranhão State, with support from Sindag, will hold a meeting on Friday (12th) to showcase the technical capacity and safety of the sector

The importance of the agricultural aviation technology for productivity and safety in crops will be presented on Friday (July 12th). It will take place within the 54th Agricultural Exhibition of Imperatriz city (EXPOIMP, in Portuguese acronym), in southeastern Maranhão state (northeastern Brazil). This is a field day promoted by the Maranhão Agriculture and Livestock Federation (FAEMA) and the Imperatriz Rural Union (SINRURAL), with support by the Brazilian Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies (SINDAG).

The program, at the Lourenço Vieira da Silva Exhibition Park, will have the participation of political authorities, small rural producers, journalists, community leaders and visitors in general. The objective is to respond to a controversy in the State, where councilors, public prosecutors and even the Catholic Church are promoting a campaign in several municipalities to ban the ag aviation.

All based on ignorance and even fake news about the risks of aerial applications. Including absurdities such as the loss of most of the products applied by aircraft and false information about contamination of populations. The most blatant example was the accusation that an application by agricultural aviation had caused itchy skin in children, where both the police investigation and the care of health authorities confirmed that it was a case of scabies.

The field day in Maranhão is part of SINDAG’s effort to combat myths surrounding ag aviation activity. Mainly among people who have no experience in large-scale agriculture or who attack agribusiness only for ideological reasons or political interests.

 With the focus on also making it clear that taking away from agriculture the planes, helicopters and drones that take care of plantations would increase the risks to people and the environment. This is because in Brazil, aerial tools are the only ones with specific and comprehensive rules regarding care when working in the field. Despite the risks in pesticide applications being the same for ground or aerial applicators.