SemeAr Project announces start of operation of DAT in São Miguel Arcanjo
Pilot already has the formal adhesion of more than 40 small and medium rural producers
The SemeAr Project – an initiative that tem with the objective of developing a digital innovation platform for agribusiness, with solutions aimed at the real demands of small and medium-sized rural producers – is announcing the start of operations in the Agro-Technological District (DAT) of São Miguel Arcanjo, a municipality located in the region of Sorocaba, in the interior of São Paulo. More than 40 producers have already formalized their adherence to this initiative, which is being conducted by CPQD in partnership with APL Agrotech from Sorocaba, Casa de Agricultura and FAESP/SENAR from São Miguel Arcanjo – in addition to EMBRAPA, from the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) and the Institute of Agricultural Economics (IEA), partners in the SemeAr Project.
Based on the “digital super farm” concept, DAT works as a nucleus for interaction with rural producers in projects implemented within the SemeAr initiative. In the pilot in São Miguel Arcanjo, DAT starts serving a geographic area with around 330 small and medium-sized farmers, whose main difficulties are poor connectivity in the region and intermediation in the chain of commercialization of their products – basically, grapes. , zucchini and other vegetables.
“We chose São Miguel Arcanjo for this pilot because it is home to small producers who have this difficulty with connectivity and access to the internet. With connectivity, they will have access to up-to-date information, as well as training and online courses, which will bring improvements to the development of their crops and the commercialization of their products”, says Nelson Cancellara, president of the Parque Tecnológico de Sorocaba (PTS ), responsible for the Local Productive Arrangement (APL) Agrotech. “Our role, as a technology park, will be to transport this project to the other municipalities that make up our APL Agrotech”, he adds.
For Federal Deputy Vitor Lippi, author of the amendment to the General Budget of the Union that allocated resources for this project, through the Committee on Science and Technology, Communication and Information Technology of the Chamber of Deputies, the search for solutions aimed at small rural producers is a of the main merits of the SemeAr initiative. “This project will undoubtedly be a watershed in the lives of rural producers. Understanding the needs of these workers means seeking to develop technological solutions to improve productivity and the sale of their products, reducing their dependence on middlemen, expanding direct sales to consumers, improving profit margins and also offering better prices and product quality. delivered to the final consumer”, emphasizes the deputy.
As responsible for the São Miguel Arcanjo DAT, CPQD defined the connectivity plan for this area, as well as the partners, structure and smart farm services to be offered by the DAT provider. It is a large connectivity laboratory for rural areas, implemented by the local internet provider SMANET, a partner in the project that will serve producers in the region. The plan defined by CPQD foresees the integration of several wireless connectivity technologies: Telebras' SGDC broadband satellite, Trópico's private 4G LTE/250 MHz network for communication with tractors and agricultural machinery, LoRa network for sensors installed in the field and radio point-to-point, to provide access to the Wi-Fi network and connection to the service provider.
To meet one of the main demands of rural producers in São Miguel Arcanjo – the freedom to sell their products at a fair price, without intermediaries -, several startups were invited to participate in Match Connect SemeAr, an initiative conducted by CPQD and AgTech Garage, in partnership with entities from the agro sector and investors. Three digital marketplace solutions presented in this challenge were selected for the validation phase by the DAT producers, which culminated in the choice of a startup partner for the pilot – Muda Meu Mundo. With operations in the states of Ceará and São Paulo, Muda Meu Mundo offers a platform designed to connect small producers (and family farmers) with retail, eliminating middlemen and ensuring the definition of prices by the producer.
Another partnership was signed with the startup Maneje Bem, which will provide digital technical assistance services – which include training, technical assistance and a network of specialists in soil management, pest management, varieties and microclimate. For the training of rural producers who join the SemeAr Project in São Miguel Arcanjo, the partners are SEBRAE and SENAR-SP (National Rural Learning Service), FAESP's educational arm.
In addition, to facilitate the integration of solutions to the infrastructure of smart farm services available in the DAT, CPQD is making platforms and technological components developed in its laboratories available to partners. Among them, the open platform dojot stands out, for the integration of data from Internet of Things applications, the Artificial Intelligence platform PlatIAgro and the platform Blockchain, which allows product traceability, in addition to interação inteligente.
“With the SemeAr Project, the objective is to accelerate the digital transformation of Brazilian agribusiness, bringing smart farm services to small and medium-sized rural producers”, says Fabricio Lira Figueiredo, manager of business development in Intelligent Agribusiness at CPQD. “For this, we are developing and validating a reference platform, which includes standardized and structured technological components, processes, operation and economic support models. This is what is being done at the São Miguel Arcanjo DAT and which, later, will have the results disseminated to other municipalities and agricultural regions”, he concludes.
About CPQD
With a focus on innovation in information and communication technologies, CPQD maintains a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that are used in the most diverse market segments, in Brazil and abroad, and accelerate the generation of value in the digital transformation process, contributing to excellence organizations, transforming user experience, reinventing business models, security and compliance, and creating new products. Technological reference in the country, CPQD is part of ecossistemthat of open innovation that has been leveraging entrepreneurship, through its notorious competence in Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Connectivity, Blockchain and Electric Mobility. CPQD is a 45-year-old private organization that delivers services and develops product and system technologies.temmission-critical ones that adhere to the complex needs of the market. These are the results of its R,D&I program, which is the basis for innovation in its temstrategic ones in the future of smart cities, smart agribusiness and advanced manufacturing. CPQD operates throughout the innovation journey – from idea to implementation – and is passionate about technology that generates development, progress and promotes the well-being of society.