RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) on Tuesday, May 25, launched the Brazilian Farming Observatory website.
The new tool compiles data from over 200 mapped bases on agricultural harvests, climate forecasts, rural credit, and provides information on the fishing sector as well as geo-referenced images of the Brazilian countryside.
The system, which is open to the public, aims to “strengthen and improve integration, management, access, and monitoring of data and information of strategic interest to the agricultural sector and to Brazil,” says the Ministry.
Each user will have access to different information, supplied by 11 federal government institutions:
National Supply Company (CONAB);
National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform ( INCRA);
National Institute of Meteorology (INMET);
Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (EMBRAPA);
Executive Commission for the Cocoa Farming Plan (CEPLAC);
Brazilian Forest Service (SFB);
Brazil’s Central Bank (BACEN);
Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE);
National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ANATER);
Federal University of Lavras (UFLA);
Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA).
The data compiled in the Observatory’s website are available in two environments:
“Statistical Platform”, where numerical, tabular data and graphical representations are found. This platform can be consulted by using filters by period and stratification at national, state, and municipal level, in addition to quantitative and qualitative data.
“Geospatial Platform”, which incorporates regional information, quantitative reports, and theme panels with different types of attributes and cartographic representation of the data.
In the theme panels, users may consult areas such as sustainable agriculture and livestock raising and environment; aquaculture and fishing; rural credit; agricultural products; agricultural zoning for climate risk (ZARC); and Brazilian soils.
In relation to rural credit, users may access the platform to check the quantity and value of contracts, including funding, investment, trading, and industrialization through filters that offer visualization by period, source of resource, program, subprogram, activity, region, state, and municipality.
ZARC is another panel that compiles consolidated information from all zoning ordinances for each crop, group, year period, and soil type. It displays the risk table, the list of cultivars, and maps to visualize the data by municipality, state, and region.
The system also provides publications on the several themes and sectors, such as reports, newsletters, magazines, planning, bulletins, and primers.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects that by July other features will be available on the platform, covering subjects such as technical assistance, land issues, family agriculture, beef cattle raising, and foreign trade.
The Ministry expects about 1 million consultations to be made within a week from the launch. The tool supports up to 500 simultaneous accesses to its databases.