Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, has a long history of firsts in Brazilian agriculture. Due to its temperate climate, it was favored by the European settlers who brought modern agricultural techniques to the country in the 19th century.
The first aerial application was made in Rio Grande do Sul in 1947, and the first commercial ag operation was established in 1948 with two Piper J-3s. It was the first state in Brazil to grow soybeans, and up to the late 1970s, it was considered “the breadbox of Brazil” before large farms were opened in the Brazilian Mid-West - many of those by producers who left Rio Grande do Sul looking for cheaper land there. It was also in Rio Grande do Sul that the first ag aviation association was created, which later took part in the creation of the national association Sindag, which still has one of its two main offices in the state’s capital city of Porto Alegre, the other being in Brasília, the country capital.
Rio Grande do Sul adds another first to this list, as it becomes the first state to pass a law declaring agricultural aviation as having “Relevant Social, Public and Economic Interest in Rio Grande do Sul”.
The Telmo Fabrício Dutra Law
Projeto de Lei (bill of law) 442/23 was presented to the Rio Grande do Sul Legislative Assembly by State Representative Marcus Vinícius Vieira de Almeida and supported by 23 other representatives. It was voted on December 3rd and approved by a 31 to 12 majority. It only awaits Governor Eduardo Leite's approval, as state legislatures in Brazil are unicameral, and there are no state senators.
This law results from thorough work by Sindag, the Brazilian equivalent of the NAAA, presenting agricultural aviation and its importance in supporting food production and safety to Rio Grande do Sul state representatives. A great victory by Sindag to the industry was named the Telmo Fabrício Dutra Law after the late Rio Grande do Sul operator who was one of the original Sindag founders in 1991 and was its president from 1997 to 1999.
The voting session was watched by a committee from the industry of about 30 people, mostly Sindag and Ibravag (the Brazilian equivalent of NAAREF) members, who held banners saying “Yes to the Ag Aviation Bill” and “For Production and Jobs.” Representative Marcus Vinícius defended the bill, saying that ag aviation is the most regulated way of applying pesticides to crops. He added that attempts to ban the activity due to the risk of drift “Are a smoke curtain for ideological matters. It’s like banning trucking because some driver made a traffic code violation”. He added that the many votes for the bill were already expected.
What it means
Like the US, Brazil today is a deeply divided country. In many states and municipalities, misinformed and ideologically biased politicians have tried to pass local laws banning aerial applications. They have already been successful in the state of Ceará, where aerial applications have been banned by state law since 2019. The Telmo Fabrício Dutra Law makes it much harder for them to pass such a ban in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, giving operators a layer of security for their investments in the industry. Thanks to abundant water, the state produces 70% of Brazil's rice. Rice and beans are a staple of the Brazilian people's diet. Because of that, Rio Grande do Sul has the second largest fleet of ag planes in Brazil, with about 400 aircraft, with the state of Mato Grosso having the largest at around 600 AG planes.
We now wait to see whether other states will follow suit and pass similar legislation. As the state hymn of Rio Grande do Sul goes, “May our deeds serve as examples for all the Earth”!
