Friday, January 15, 2010
Iguazu
Hear is where the two large motors enter into the picture. We approach the falls futher up towards the main part called Devil's Throat. To the right we are starring at more water that is pouring over into the river, and at this point we could just feel a little mist. The driver put it on full throttle and we went right up into the falls, just a few yards from being directly under the water. He circled into the cloud of mist and popped right back out again. It was quite a loud rush. After a few more times of that, and a little enticement from John in the back we headed through the heavy mist into the deeper part of the falls and even closer to the Devil's Throat. By now we were in some rapids, and it took just about all the engines had to keep us in one spot as we gazed at the falling water that was surrounding us on three sides. In little time, the boat turned around and heading back to the safer waters, but not without a fight. The rapids got us, and as the boat came down after pointing into the sky from a wake, we were momentarily drenched as it spilled over on all sides. The experience was unforgetable, we were wet, but that is what the trail was for; to see the falls from above.
It started at the southern most point, around where the first Argentina side was visable. A few falls were visable when we looked straight out from the trail, but the best was ahead. The falls kept getting taller, wider, and faster; and as the descent of the trail was coming we could start to see the platform that was positioned above some of the fastest water. During this 1200 meter walk, a lot of picture were taken, and it would be safe to say that between the 12 of us, 1500 was a pretty attainable number for the Iguazu Falls tour. Once we reached the walkway to the overhang, the mist was pouring down the mountain just as it had from the boat, just as everyone was dry too. But it was worth getting wet again to walk out over the rushing water to peak over the cascade and see below. We were worried about the cameras getting wet on the boat, but they were out here, getting soaked from the mist. Quite an amazing site. Iguazu had one last surprise for as we continued back on the path. When the engineers built this tourist hub, a tower and observation deck was put just a few feet from the biggest waterfall in the park. You could stand at the edge and see in amazement the 450,000 gallons of water flowing over the edge every second. A breathtaking view.
The day was full of excitement and we thought that perhaps we would never see anything so spectacular again, well at least not in Illinois.
A Special Thank You
Next, was Nadial, the tenacious tour guide of profound passion, who strives to educate students and professionals to brigde the gap between two agrarian countries. During our stay we were treated like royalty, dining in quality restaurents and lodging in some of Parana's best hotels. Although we were a half a world away, he tried to make us at home. His knowledge about agriculture and the differences between the U.S. and Brazil, makes our learning experience much richer. We have appreciated all that he has done for us.
John receieved our thanks last. He has served as our faculty advisor from Illinois, however, most of us had not known him much before the trip. As we have come to find out, his presence has greatly added to the cultural comparisions that can be learned on such a journey. His life lessons and tips were always a pleasure to listen to. Although he was born and raised on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin, we now know that he a quite the world traveler and has a healthy appetite for always learning something new. His great spirit is something all of us have really enjoyed.
I would also like to make a very special thank you to Erin Stein for doing a lot of the behind the scenes work that made our trip run smoothly and made the University of Illinois look very well represented. She did a great job planning meetings and speakers that informed us of what to expect and what would be expected of us. She also organized for each tour guide, farmer and business representative to be thanked with a gift from Illinois. Her work has been greatly appreciated.
Tomorrow we have will visit a statue that marks the intersection of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, so we can say we have visited all of those countries!! After that we will loosen up our legs at a park near Iguazu before we board our first plane for home.
It has been an unbelievable, interesting and enjoyable international agriculture experience and a privilege to be able to share it.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Real Brazilian Experience
One interesting part about our visits to places like Cocamar is to hear their history, and how they came to be so successful amid a country that has had its struggles. From the time of the first Portuguese settlement a few centuries ago, until the 1990s, Brazil has had economic, social and political hardship that is almost a curse. With each new rise in a slightly different government, or leader, comes more of the same; a sustained and constant gap between the upper class and the lower class that is of epic proportions. During the first exploration of Brazil, in an effort to grab up as much land as possible, the Portuguese government gave away massive amounts to individuals, sometimes in excess of hundreds of thousands of hectares at a time. This created a few really rich people and everyone else has been in the lower class. Many things have changed, but this reality is still true; the economy, currency and financing have not been stable for most citizens. What does this have to do with coops and agriculture? Well, up until 1998, Brazil's currency was seeing hyperinflation that was hundreds of percents each year. New currencies were created at the rate of every few years and nobody had any confidence in the value of their currency. Such an economy cannot utilize its bountiful natural resources without foreign investment and multinational companies. But with the creation of the Real in 1998, and a strict, consice plan to turn the economy around, President Cardoso (one of the first democratically elected presidents of Brazil) was able to finally stimulate and produce like never before. This issue came up as we listened to the presentation at Cocamar. They mentioned that they were in the red in 1997-1998, but when they were finally able to sit down with the bank and reach a settlement, they calculated that the bank actually owed them money, an example to the uncertainty in finance and banking that was present. Today, Brazil is thriving like never before. We have talked with a dozen or so businesses, and I have asked many of them, how has the past year been for business, has there been growth or have things slowed done. The overall response is growth, ranging from 8% to 30% over the previous year. Brazil does have its "warts" as John Santos would say, but the overall vibe that we have gotten from our numerous visits is that, indeed, it is an exciting time to be involved in Brazilian agriculture and agribusiness.
The day ended sitting poolside under the Brazilian stars having a conversation about what we enjoyed most, and giving Nadial some feedback on what would make the trip better in the future. It was nice to look back on our whirlwind tour of Parana, and really gage the whole scope of everything we experienced. One observation that we had was just how well it was organized, and how much everything flowed perfectly. For instance, the part we enjoyed most, that Nadial suspected we would, was a few days after we had gotten over the jet lag, and into the Brazilian culture, and were therefore much more capable of having great conversations with the Terasawa family. Starting out with the port was perfect as well, each point after that related back to marketing and logistics, and when they mentioned Paranagua Bay, not only did we know where it was at, we got a boat tour of it and talked with a commercial manager there. Nadial gave us great proportions for each destination, not too much or little, just enough to really engage us the whole time we were touring. Traveling to Brazil is a quite a trip, and without a great tour guide like him, who not only knows the area, but used to work for and still does consulting with most of the companies we visited, is a special experience.
We have gone at it pretty hard for the last 8 days. Now, as our journey is coming to an end we are waking up bright and early in the morning to experience one of the world's natural wonders, Iguazzu Falls. Outside of about a day, it has been cloudy or raining for most of the trip. Although that might has dampened the mood elsewhere, we got through it, and perhaps tomorrow it could pay off. Like I mentioned in a previous post, Brazil's rivers don't flow to the ocean, but inland, and most in the area end up cascading over Iguazzu Falls, and that means that the river is going to be roaring at a high rate tomorrow. With a little luck, we might even get to use the sunshine that we have been putting in the bank for the past week.
All for now.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Logging and Paper
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Cooperatives
Dutch Colonies in Brazil
Another busy today in the Brazilian state of Parana. We started the morning by visiting Romi farms in the Dutch Cooperative of Castrolanda. The farm started as a dairy farm but converted to a grain farm in 1972. Ten years later the farm converted to 100% no-till. Romi farms they produce soybeans, dry beans, and corn during the summer and oats and wheat during the winter. It was very interesting that they use the same row spacing for both soybean and corn planting.
The next stop was the ABC foundation which does research and develops as solutions for the Dutch cooperatives.
After lunch we toured the Castrolanda cooperative facilities in Castro. The receiving facilities were similar to those in the states except they use wood to fuel the dryer. Then we walked across the street to the Dutch Immigration Memorial. We went up in a windmill and learned about the heritage of the Dutch immigrants.
The last stop of the day before going to the hotel was Selvaverde Dairy. They currently have 730 cows in lactation and milk twice a day. Their cows average 28 L of milk/cow/day. Their feed is mainly corn silage and ryegrass.
Boa noite.
Ross Recker
Crop Science - 2012
Monday, January 11, 2010
ABC's of Brazilian Grain
One great example of this first occured to several of us as we arrived in Ponta Grossa, a couple days ago. As we had just finished the tour of Witmarsum, our interest had peaked, and we began instensely studying our surroundings on our way to the next destination. A couple examples were mentioned earlier, the much hillier terrain that resembled Wisconsin and the difficulty of moving machinery over the land. But as we got into Ponta Grossa, on the very edge of town, were massive grain storage facilities. We have grown up in rural Illinois, and seen elevators inland and along rivers, but never had any of us seen so many places to store grain in one place. You see a set of bins, and shed containers, and then another and another, then you turn and look out the other side of the bus and can see an equal amount. Another thing that we noticed, not once, from Curitiba to Ponta Grossa (an hour and a half drive) did we see a single elevator in the country side. One last thing that we thought of, on our train ride down the mountains to the port, the tour guide mentioned that all rivers (execpt one) do not run to the ocean, but instead they flow inland to Iguassu Falls. So not only do we realize that there are no elevators that are easily accessable like in the United States, there is not an easy means of logistics for any corn or soybeans grown inland from the ocean. The director at the port told us, 50% of grain coming into the port was by truck and 20% was coming by train, a very inefficient means of logistics.
Where does all of this come together? Several places, the first one Mauricio let us in on, and it is the title of this post, the ABC's. And they are, ADM, Bunge, and Cargill. Together they make a good chunk of grain logistics in Brazil, and were the facilities that I described above as we entered Ponta Grossa. And the second has to do with a better understanding of the struggles Brazilian agriculture has. Often you hear of Americans coming to Brazil and managing large farm operations. This takes place in the west Cerrado region of Mota Grossa, a state in Brazil. Besides the different soil conditions, the region is an open plane, similiar to Illinois. It boasts some of the biggest soybean farms and farmers in the world. But when you take a look at the equation that I have laid out above, those soybeans, for the most part, make a 1400 mile journey to Paranagua Bay to the port. Still speaking on broad terms, when you sell soybeans in Mota Grossa, the price is based on the Chicago Board of Trade. For instance, say today's price is $10, when you go to the elevator in Mota Grossa, an ABC firm, you don't get a 15 cent, 20 cent, or 30 cent basis, but a $4 to $6 basis! This was yet another lesson that we have learned from Mauricio about the differences between America and Brazil in terms of production agriculture.
When we were discussing those massive grain bins as we entered Ponta Grossa, and thinking through what we had learned, we could only come to one conclusion; we are very fortunate in Illinois. Not only can we take our grain to an elevator 10 minutes away, but we can take it to several elevators in that amount of time, and even straight to the river. Our river system is something Brazil does not have, and it greatly increased transportation costs. We have a lot to be thankful for in Illinois.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Fique Tranquilo
We were welcomed to the plant by the same faces whom we dined with the evening before; Francisco, Mauricio, Claudio ( who is a scientist for FT, professor at the nearby university and former student at Illinois), and a couple other scientists and managers of FT. The plant itself is a well kept operation just minutes outside of Ponta Grossa, and down the road from the giant grain storage facility of Bunge. The FT conference room was the setting for our discussion and presentation, led by Mauricio. He described the pictures on the wall surrounding the conference table. What seemed like ordinary pictures of the Terasawa's with thier customers was not the case for the bigger photograph in the middle of the wall. WIth Francisco Terasawa in this photo was Norman Bourlog, winner of the Nobel Prize in Agriculture and the founder or leader in what has become known as the green revolution. It was also interesting to learn that Fransisco was nominated for the Nobel Prize in agriculture, and his story is well worth this accomplishment.
Francisco started his work with soybeans in 1964, and continued that career with the Brazilian Dep. of Agriculture for eight years. During this period his boss was the only person with a Masters degree in Soybean research, so clearly it was a new production means at the time. Francisco's knowledge and interest in soybeans led him to start his own research in this area in 1972, when he founded FT Sementes. He shared with us that he sought out help and understanding of soybeans from several other farmers in the southern region of the United States, and was quick to mention that without their help, he would not have achieved his level of success. Through breeding many different hybrids of soybeans, he found one that had useful characteristics. He bred a soybean that could grow well in a very acidic soil, a soil that was also low in phosphorous and high in aluminum, and this is what you will find across the entire central region of Brazil, called the cerrado. As John Santos (our advisor from Illinois, Uncle John as we refer to him) describes, the central region of Brazil is similiar to that of most of Australia, grazing land, flat, and prairie grass in most parts. Francisco had bred a plant that could be grown for profit in an otherwise baron region. The FT Christalina, the Queen of Cerrado, was a hybrid that took off in popularity with farmers. A region that used to grow 1.5 tons/hectare (around 25 bu/acre) could now produce 3 tons/hectace (50 bu/ac). This was a remarkable accomplishment and product for the farmers of the Cerrado region. And the numbers reflected it, 8 out of 10 soybean plants in all of Cerrado, were the FT Christalina hybrid.
The name FT Semente stands for "Francisco Terasawa Seeds." But, when you walk into their plant, you see the FT logo, and right underneath it is a slogan, it reads, "Fique Tranquilo." This term loosely translates to "Keep calm, or, we will take care of you." And when you listen to Francisco's story, it truly is an understatement to what he has done for Brazilian agriculture.
FT Sementes has certainly had great success, but the valleys have come along as well. 1994 brought disease to the area and hurt Christalina a little bit. Shortly after, Monsanto came to the stage with Round-Up and provided other benefits for farmers. This, combined with a weak product protection system in Brazil led to the decision of selling the Christalina germ plasm to Monsanto. Since that time FT Sementes is still going strong, with 25 different soybean varieties both RR and conventional (60% soybeans in Brazil are non-GMO). They have 8 corn varieties and are coming on strong in the market of bean varieties and edible soybeans. Currently they are the 4th largest soybean firm in Brazil, a market share that has grown over the past few years. Their continued success will be the diligent research that they continue to work on. As Mauricio told us while we were in the research greenhouse, "You can have all of the GMO products and genetics that you want, but the conventional breeding of soybeans for the right conditions is the foundation that makes the other stuff possible." The Christalina changed the way soybeans were produced in the Cerrado, so FT will continue to work towards producing better hybrids for South America and perhaps beyond.
At Home on the Farm
During the morning we also had a surprise stop to the Botanical Gardens, which was not on the itinerary, but were able to squeeze in an hour around this downtown Curitiba park. It was a very nice, green, central park and it was good to get out and walk for awhile after being on a bus so long.
The rest of the morning consisted of a tour of a veternarian hospital. After viewing the facility we left Curitiba and finally made it out into the country. We saw soybeans and corn along the roadside, but it looks nothing like Illinois do to the hilly terrain. It almost had a Wisconsin feeling to it, however, perhaps a little more undulated. It would be a challenge to drive a tractor on the hills which the Brazillians farm.
Our next visit was a Mennonite cooperative in Witmarsum. The mennonite pepole came from a Germany and after much persecution eventually made their way to Brazil. We spent most of our time at a dairy farm, which I considered very clean compared to some of my neighbors dairy farms back home.
The highlight of the day was our visit to the home of Mauricio Teresawa. Mauricio who is currently working on his PhD at the Uniersity of Illinois, prepared a marvelous dinner for us. We enjoyed more barbecue and Brazilian cuisine on his elegent home in downtown Ponta Grossa.
Right now we are leaving for FT Semente, the seed corn company that the Terasawa family owns and operates. It will be interesting to hear what they are working on.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Paranagua Bay
When we got off of the train, a 15 minute bus ride took us the rest of the way to Paranagua Bay. Our first stop was a great seafood buffet looking over the river. After lunch, we braved the rain for a boat ride around Paranague Bay. It was a small boat that could fit 30 or so tourists, very roomy for us. We were able to go right by all of the cargo and container ships that were currently docked in the port, and see just how massive the ships as well as their cargo were. The port did not operate when it was rainy, so everything was quiet and inactive. A small group of dolfins followed us for a bit, the most exotic wildlife we have seen so far.
After the boat ride we went inside the Paranagua Bay Port Administration where we were treated to a video presentation on the history and development of the port. Here we learned that the port was the 2nd biggest in Brazil, and had the most capacity for grain. The port grossed over 14 billion and is predicting better years now that the recession is starting to weaken. By 2016 they hope to almost double there capacity with continued expansion of docks for unloading, which they can accomplish when they dredge the channel to make sure it is the proper depth, and then use that sand/soil material to build up land nearby the current port. After the presentation we were able to ask questions, and then took a bus tour behind the gates of the port. The bus was actually driving just feet from the water and underneath the huge cranes that place the containers on the ships. It was surprising we were able to be that close. We learned that a ship has 10 hours to unload/load, and then it is kicked off, has to wait for an opening to continue and is also penalized monetarily. However this has not happened in over 4 years, and keeps thing running efficient. Better rail lines from Paraguay or Argentina are being constructed, and with a more efficient means of getting grain to the port, they will greatly increase the amount they are able to ship.
On our way out of town we made a stop at a farmers market type store. They sold local goods and specialty juices. Nadial had us try "sugar cane juice." Upon ordering it the waiter ran sugar cane sticks into a machine, and out came a white juice. We all shared about two pitchers of this juice, and it was the sweetest drink I think I have ever tasted, very, very good.
Our dining stop for the evening are the famous chascarias, an all you can eat barbecue restaurent. It was a great meal, and the waiters came around so much you had to tell them to no most of the time because your plate was full.
Today we are touring a vet clinic and a Dairy Farm!
That is all for now.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Curitiba
Last night we met up with our guide for our time in Parana, Nadial. He was ready for us as soon as we stepped of the plane, and helped us with exchanging some currency at the airport. Knowing us Americans, he realized that we might need a Wal-Mart stop, so that was our first order of business. It was much like an American Wal-Mart for the most part, with more Brazilian food of course, but all the essentials can be found.
We checked into our hotel in downtown Curitiba, took a shower, changed clothes and took a bus ride to our welcome dinner at a local Itialian restaurent. The restaurent specializes in feeding a great number of people with great food, and can seat almost 5,000 guest. It was quite impressive, and it took a discipline in order to make sure the waiters did not keep piling the food onto your plate.
It was a great way to start our trip. Momentarily we will be heading to Paranagua Bay, on the Atlantic Coast and take part in a boat tour of one of Brazils largest ports.
Stayed tuned for more!!