The businesswoman from Tocantins state was elected in an assembly that reinforced guidelines such as communication with society and continuous improvement in the sector

Businesswoman Hoana Almeida Santos, from the Tocantins state, was elected on May 25th, in Porto Alegre, to head the National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies (SINDAG) for the next two years. Hoana has already served since 2019 on the SINDAG’s Board of Directors, which is the main entity in the Brazilian ag aviation sector. Currently, SINDAG encompasses 214 associates (18 of which are drones operators) – around 90% of the 245 ag aviation companies operating in 24 States.

Former president Thiago Magalhães Silva, from Orlândia, in São Paulo state, is now the SINDAG’s vice president. Along with the new Board of Directors whose members from Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Maranhão – whose mission is to represent the entity in all regions of the Country.

Bearing in mind that Brazil is the world’s second largest ag aviation market, with more than 2,500 aircraft (airplanes and helicopters) operating in crops, according to a survey carried out in the Brazilian Aeronautical Registry (RAB) of the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). In the case of drones, it is estimated that around 3,000 devices are already being used to manage crops in Brazil.

EXPERIENCED LEADER: ag aviation businesswoman since 2008, Hoana has been a member of SINDAG’s Board of Directors since 2019

CHALLENGE

Hoana takes over SINDAG at a time when the sector is facing the resurgence of prejudice against agricultural aviation – which is opposed mainly by groups hostile to agribusiness. The challenge is to show society that, in addition to being the only crop management tool with specific (and broad) regulations, the most easily applicable and the only one that requires technical training from practically everyone involved in the operations, it is also fundamental for the productivity optimization. Read: greater crop results without the need to advance the agricultural frontier and with a reduction in the volume of pesticides applied. Just the opposite of the main myths against the sector.

In view of this, the entity’s focus should be to increase transparency and approach actions with society (reinforcing meetings with the press, government authorities, community leaders and other actors), as well as continuing with the sector’s continuous improvement programs – such as Operational Safety Academies, the MBA in Innovation and Sustainability Management, and the SINDAG on the Road (which is approaching its 100th edition), among other actions.

Support for research also comes into play at this point, with the Agricultural Aviation Scientific Congress and the Good Ag Aviation Practices program (BPA Brasil). In this case, a partnership between the Brazilian Agricultural Aviation Institute (IBRAVAG, whose president Júlio Kämpf was also at the meeting in Porto Alegre) and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE).

“It is our duty to do our social work, debating and bringing information to society”, pointed out the president in her first speech shortly after being elected. The leader also thanked the support of the entity and fellow businessmen for the exchange of experiences since she became a member of SINDAG. “It is constant learning, in an entity that also makes a lot of effort, together with IBRAVAG, for the appreciation of the sector”, said Hoana.

DIRECTORS

Completing the team led by Hoana and Thiago Silva, the Board of Directors of SINDAG until 2025 will have as full members the entrepreneurs Jorge Humberto Morato de Toledo (State of São Paulo), Bruno Ricardo de Vasconcelos (São Paulo), Francisco Dias da Silva (Rio Grande do Sul), Nelson Coutinho Peña (Rio Grande do Sul) and Ricardo Cavina Tavares (São Paulo). The team of alternate members comprises Alexandre de Lima Schramm (Minas Gerais), Sergio Bianchini (Espírito Santo), Tiago Henrique Textor (Goiás), Ruddigger Alves da Silva (Bahia), William Rambo (Mato Grosso), Taylla Lara Scherwinski de Faria (Rondônia) and Airle Heringer Júnior (Maranhão). All of them with the mission of representing the entity in their regions of the country or in national issues involving the ag aviation industry.