Role of Technical Assistance in Sustaining Small Dairy Farms in Brazil
The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is expanding its efforts to assist small and medium-sized dairy producers through enhanced technical assistance programs. One of the major initiatives includes the creation of an International Training Center for Dairy Farming. This center is part of a broader strategy to improve the support offered by the ATER Leite Network, which operates in collaboration with state-level Emater organizations and is backed by the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture.
The ATER Leite Network focuses on family farming, providing annual planning and aligning actions with the specific demands of each state. This initiative acknowledges the increasing need for knowledge, information, and technological mastery in dairy production. While large-scale farms can afford specialized teams and advanced technologies, smaller producers often rely on public or private technical assistance to maintain viable production systems.
Researcher Bellini highlights the financial challenges faced by these producers in accessing necessary technical support, suggesting a collaborative approach among cooperatives, industries, and the ATER System to provide this essential service. An alternative proposed is the collective contracting of technical assistance by groups of producers with similar characteristics.
According to Bellini, without structured, continuous, and professional technical assistance, small and medium-sized producers risk exiting the industry. This is particularly pressing as dairy production becomes increasingly concentrated in larger-scale operations. The initiative aims to foster a more balanced production structure and enhance productive inclusion within the dairy supply chain.
The strategy goes beyond mere access to knowledge; it seeks to transform technical assistance into a permanent tool for competitiveness and sustainability for producers facing greater scale and investment limitations. The planned training center and network expansion are intended to equip producers with the skills and resources required to thrive in a competitive market.
