Seven farms of SLC Agrícola are already integrated with the technology. The company is one of the largest Brazilian producers and exporters of agricultural commodities.
As a leader in connectivity in the field, with over 12 million hectares connected with 4G throughout Brazil, TIM stands out in the Brazilian agribusiness sector as the connectivity partner for leading companies in the industry.
The partnership with SLC Agrícola has already shown advances and positive results. It started about four years ago with the coverage for the Panorama Farm in Correntina, Bahia. The work today stands out for the project carried out at Planeste Farm, in Balsas, Maranhão, which is fully connected with TIM 4G, in addition to other properties such as Palmares and Parceiro, in Bahia, Parnaguá, in Piauí, Parnaíba and Palmeira and in Maranhão.
The technology is essential for increasing productivity and controlling and monitoring harvesters and tractors in real-time – ensuring quick decision-making, cost reduction, better crop management and faster production flow.
In addition to digitizing the production processes, the project aims to provide signal coverage in four states: Maranhão, Bahia, Tocantins and Piauí, benefiting approximately 30,000 people in 21 municipalities.
SLC Agrícola is one of the largest Brazilian producers and exporters of corn, soybeans, cotton and seeds. Connectivity helps reduce costs and makes all stages of the production chain more sustainable. Sustainability is, in fact, one of the areas most impacted by connectivity: About 88% of the waste generated at Fazenda Planeste is reused through real-time data collection – something previously done manually.
Connectivity has also improved the processes of hiring and training teams. The need for professionals skilled in handling connected tractors and machinery has changed the work of the Human Resources department. The employees are keeping up with the development of technology and are increasingly seeking training in their functions.
According to Alexandre Dal Forno, Director of IoT and 5G Market Development, TIM Brazil, connectivity is the crucial differentiator for Brazilian agribusiness: “We are the first operator with coverage in 100% of the Brazilian territory. For agribusiness, connectivity is essential to increase production efficiency by integrating new technologies and enabling solutions that benefit the company, employees, communities and nature.
“Connected machines, things and people produce more with less environmental impact and greater sustainability. Our partnership with SLC Agrícola encompasses different aspects of the daily routines in agribusiness and connectivity makes processes increasingly dynamic.”
For João Aranda, Manager of Infrastructure, Governance and Information Technology Services at SLC Agrícola, the coverage of crops with a 4G signal has enabled the adoption of new technologies and innovations that have increased competitiveness and operational efficiency, generating value for shareholders and society.
Aranda said: “In recent years, with the adoption of digital solutions, starting from connectivity on farms, we have experienced a true transformation in our processes, monitoring each stage of production in real-time and thus lowering costs and reducing the use of natural resources. We have gained in yield and input savings. Connectivity has allowed us to advance in a sustainable and effective agenda, with better results.”
About TIM
‘Evolving together with courage, turning technology into freedom’ is the purpose of TIM, a Brazilian operator and a leading company in 4G coverage. Recognized for being at the forefront of relevant market movements, in line with its signature ‘Imagine the possibilities’, the company is a pioneer in 5G testing in the country and has played a leading role in the auction for the new technology, which will revolutionize various sectors of the Brazilian economy.
Committed to the best environmental, social and governance practices, the company is in the 2022 Sustainability Yearbook, which brings together the most sustainable enterprises in the world and was the first operator to obtain the Pro-Ethics seal from the Brazilian Office of the Comptroller General (CGU, in Portuguese) and the ISO 37001 certification for anti-bribery.
About SLC Agrícola
Founded in 1977, SLC Agrícola is one of the largest Brazilian producers of agricultural commodities. It has a planted area of approximately 670,000 hectares in 22 production units in seven Brazilian states, headquartered in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It produces cotton, corn and soybeans and dedicates to cattle farming in the Integrated Crop-Livestock System (ILP).
It also produces and markets soybean and cotton seeds under the SLC Sementes brand.
As one of the first agribusiness companies to have shares traded on the Stock Exchange (SLCE3), SLC Agrícola has some of the principal indicators of B3, such as IBOVESPA, IBRX100, ICO2 and ISE among others. In 2021, it formalized its Zero Deforestation policy.
