"Irrigation enables crops of higher commercial value and greater wealth within a given space. We want to show the strength of irrigated farming in Goiás and raise the awareness of farmers in the region regarding the use of rainwater in dams," says Figueiredo.
The damp and fertile soil of the region favors the farming of products such as coffee, beans, corn, potato, onion, garlic, tomatoes, wheat, soy, barley, pumpkin, pea and cotton. Currently, the city produces 2.3 million tons of food per year.
The farmer Verni Wehrmann also invested in irrigation systems for his 2,300-hectare property, in the interior of Goiás, to cultivate garlic, potatoes, carrots and onions.
With over 2,000 employees in his farm, he claims that the irrigation system enables better pest and disease control, resulting in less use of pesticides and higher quality food.
"The farmers here are aware that sustainability also comes from irrigation. We store water during the rain period and then use it for irrigation during the drought," he says.
Another factor boosting development is the generation of direct and indirect jobs at local irrigated plots. In Goiás, more than 22,000 people are directly employed, and 28,000 have indirect jobs. Wheat farming generates over 1,000 jobs, tomato farming, 6,000 jobs, and bean farming, 11,000 jobs.
The head of Conservation Agriculture division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Maurício Carvalho, explains that Brazil has 3.5 million irrigated hectares, with potential for 30 million.
According to him, the Midwest region has the best conditions for irrigation, and may triple its output, increasing productivity five-fold. "The municipality of Cristalina is an example for Brazil and for Latin America when it comes to tapping into surface water resources in a sustainable manner," he says.
To the chairman of the Board of Irrigators at the Federation of Agriculture of the State of Goiás (Faeg), Tiago Mendonça, the region's growth depends on investment in electric power, dams and roads. "We have got potential to produce 200,000 hectares and generate over 50,000 jobs in the state," he claims.
The state of Goiás houses three drainage basins, São Francisco, Araguaia/Tocantins and Paranaíba/Paraná, and has the sixth largest irrigated area in the country. The state features quality weather, topography, soil and water conditions for food production. It is possible to triple the output by means of rainwater stored in dams. The state is located in the Brazilian Savannah region, which has become the leading agricultural producer in the country.
Several cultures in the region already use irrigation systems. In the case of wheat, there are 8,500 hectares planted and 41,000 tons harvested. Irrigated beans cover an area of 73,000 hectares, with an output of 3.3 million 60-kilogram bags per year. Irrigated bean farming yields 45 bags per hectare, whereas dry-farmed bean yields 27 bags per hectare. Industrial tomato, with over half a million tons, accounts for 85% of domestic production, occupying an area of 13,000 hectares.
The state of Goiás is the most populated in the Brazilian Midwest, with 5.7 million inhabitants. Agriculture is of great importance to the local economy. The state is the fifth largest sugarcane producing state, and the leading items in its export basket are soy and derivatives and beef.
From January to July this year, Goiás obtained US$ 2.1 billion in revenues from foreign sales, according to figures supplied by the state government.