Cooperja is the first Cooperative in Brazil to achieve certification of excellence in seed treatment

The seed is the primary input for a crop, and it carries all the genetic load and productivity potential. The quality for use directly influences the result. One of the highly recommended technologies to ensure the quality of the main input for the crop is Industrial Seed Treatment (TSI). We can highlight as main benefits of this process as high uniformity and ideal distribution of the products in the seeds, the reduction of risks of physiological damages, and higher rates of germination and vigor.

Through the Seedcare Institute, Syngenta granted Cooperja the Seedcare certification seal, which attests to the excellence in seed quality and industrial treatment of Rice and Soybean seeds. It is the first company in Brazil to receive certification for rice cultivation.

The delivery took place in the cooperative's auditorium and was attended by Syngenta's technical sales representatives, Fernando Frandoloso and Ivan Tedesco, UBS manager, Célito Mezzari, Technical assistant Bruno Cechinel, members of the technical department, in addition to the Purchasing sector managers, Stores and Retail.

According to Fernando Frandoloso, the Seedcare/Syngenta certification seal granted to Cooperja is an excellent achievement of the cooperative, which is currently the only seed company in Brazil that works with rice cultivation to achieve this seal. “The seal is a form of recognition and differentiation granted by Syngenta to a select group of seed producers, which Cooperja is now part of. This award is a way of recognizing that the seed partner and Syngenta are not concerned with just selling products, but with the entire process that involves seed treatment, from environmental parts, employee care, dose assertiveness, among others. In short, the cooperative is concerned with always taking the best seed with the best TSI to the producer,” Frandoloso highlighted.

The Seedcare Institute is a renowned center for research, development, training and technological diffusion that benefits seedbeds, producers, the scientific community, specialists in the field and the entire field network. It is located in Holambra (SP) and focuses on the study of industrial seed treatment. To obtain the seal, companies undergo an external audit and must comply with a series of items within various areas.

The six areas reviewed that need to be approved are:

1st. Correct dosage, verifying that in at least 10% of the lots sent for analysis, the seeds have the application dose within the correct range;

2nd. High germination, performed by checking the bulletins of all batches with TSI, to ensure that germination is within the required standards, with a planned plant stand, a determining factor for productivity;

3rd. Up-to-date maintenance, through verification of proof of maintenance of all machines involved in the process, as well as the proper adjustment for proper functioning;

4th. Be careful with employees, considering that the company to comply with labor standards and safety and training measures for the use of PPE (Individual Safety Equipment), in addition to investing in qualified labor;

5th. Protection of the environment, and compliance with the Environmental Standards, the correct disposal of waste and packaging and the guarantee of sustainability will also be verified and;

6th. Compliance with legislation: item related to verifying permits, licenses and standards that ensure business continuity.
Manager of UBS Cooperja, Célito Mezzari, said that the certificate is a great achievement and recognition of the work developed by the cooperative, which has been investing in and improving the infrastructure and training of employees. “Producers and associates are the ones who gain in benefits, in using the best seeds and with quality industrial treatment, such as assertiveness of dose and coating,” Mezzari pointed out.