Sugarcane burning was abolished in the last decade, says entity

The increase in the number of fires during the drought that is shaping up to be the worst in Brazil’s history has reignited the debate about the practice of burning as a solution in agricultural management. One of the sectors most affected by the fire is sugarcane, which according to the Orplana (Organization of Associations of Sugarcane Producers of Brazil), has already accumulated a loss of R$ 1.2 billion.

The use of burning has been consistent in the sugarcane production chain for about 20 years and the scenario of fires in the country in August and September put the sector in the spotlight. However, producers claim that the practice was abolished in the last decade, especially because it has proven to be economically unprofitable.

To the Poder360the CEO of Orplana, Jose Guilherme Nogueirastated that burning was introduced in the country in 1987, when scientific studies indicated that burning sugarcane was a positive thing, especially during harvesting – which was done manually. This practice continued until mid-2004, when the arrival of agricultural machinery and the discovery of the properties of sugarcane biomass put an end to the idea.

Nogueira said that, from the moment all the components of sugarcane began to be used, burning became economically unviable. According to the executive, burning sugarcane results in a loss of about 50% of the production value.

“Of course, raw sugarcane is 10,000 times better than burned sugarcane because you can use all that biomass to make bioelectricity, second-generation ethanol, and you increase the volume of mass to achieve cogeneration in the plants. No one wants to lose anything, not even a leaf. All of this is money.”he said.

Orplana’s CEO stated that technological advances led to the practice being phased out over the period from 2005 to 2010, when producers were able to make an economically viable transition to mechanical harvesting. According to Nogueira, the burnings were extinguished in the Center-South of the country and that the practice is only observed in some areas of Pernambuco and Alagoas that have uneven terrain that makes access difficult for tractors and other machinery. Even in these locations, state governments are working to mitigate the practice.

“In the Center-South, yes [foi extinto]there are still some controlled burns in the Northeast, but only in very steep areas, close to Pernambuco and Alagoas, but the state governments have already decreed that they want to end this forever. It can only be done in very steep areas where tractors or machines are not available for harvesting. In the rest of Brazil it no longer exists, because it is much more expensive to harvest with people.”he said.

Nogueira stated that the end of the burnings was an economic and environmental achievement. With the permission of the Union throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the practice was not carried out in an uncontrolled manner and was regulated to protect the surrounding areas. For example, the burnings could not be carried out in conditions of humidity below 15% and in strong winds.

Although, according to the entity’s CEO, it is no longer recurrent, the sector is still associated with the practice. On Monday (16.Sep), Orplana released a statement repudiating a statement by the coordinator of the Greenhouse Gas Laboratory of Inpe (National Institute for Space Research), Luciana Gatti, who attributed the fires to the sugar-energy sector.

“With utmost emphasis, Orplana reiterates that the entire sugarcane production chain is firmly committed to sustainability and environmental preservation. This commitment is evidenced by the strict compliance with the guidelines established by the Agro-Environmental Protocol – Greener Ethanol, which includes the prohibition of the use of fire in sugarcane harvesting in the State of São Paulo since 2017.”the statement says. Read the full (PDF – 61 kB).

THE Poder360 contacted the scientist via email from the professional and through the Inpe press office on Tuesday (September 17) and this Wednesday (September 18), to ask if she would like to comment on the repudiation note. There was no response by the time this report was published. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.