Agribusiness and Agrotechnology
Historically, Rio Grande do Sul has established itself as the breadbasket of Brazil, being a pioneer and protagonist in a large part of the production of food and beverages, being the focal point of the expansion of the agricultural frontier to the other regions of the country. Currently, the State occupies the 6th position in terms of Gross Value of Agricultural Production, accounting for 7.8% of the country's total (2022).
The countryside in Rio Grande do Sul is characterized by high productivity and the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies. Rio Grande do Sul stands out in precision agriculture and in the production of machines and implements, in addition to offering an excellent structure for research, development and innovation, involving universities, research institutes, parks and technology centers, and incubators. In 2023, the state has 80 agritechs developing innovative solutions for the sector (SICT).
In addition, the state is home to some of the most important international agroindustry fairs in Latin America, such as Expointer; in Esteio, Expodireto; in Não-Me-Toque, and the Festa da Uva; in Caxias do Sul.
Crops and Herds (2023 Crops)
In terms of agricultural production, soybeans, wheat, grapes, apples, pecan nuts, peaches, tobacco are some of the most relevant productions in Rio Grande do Sul, nationally and internationally. The estimated harvests of Rio Grande do Sul represent, for the agricultural year 2022/23, in relation to Brazil:
98.7% of canola production – 80.9 (1000t) (1st place)
90% pecan production – 5.5 (1000t) (1st place)
73.0% of oat production – 789.3 (1000t) (1st place)
69.7% of rice production – 6,934.40 (1000t) (1st place)
66.5% of olive production – 2.3 (1000t) (1st place)
63.2% of peach production – 125.8 (1000t) (1st place)
54.4% of grape production – 951.2 (1000t) (1st place)
50.4% of kiwi production – 2.8 (1000t) (1st place)
48.5% of apple production – 628.7 (1000t) (1st place)
48.4% of wheat production - 4666.4 (1000t) (1st place)
47.9% of pear production – 7.6 (1000t) (1st place)
46.8% of plum production – 21.0 (1000t) (1st place)
46.3% of tobacco production – 345.0 (1000t) (1st place)
40.8% fig production – 9.0 (1000t) (2nd place)
29.2% of rye production – 3.3 (1000t) (2nd place)
28.8% of triticale production –16.2 (1000t) (2nd place)
24.7% of barley production – 108.2 (1000t) (2nd place)
13.6% of sweet potato production – 47.6 (1000t) (2nd place)
9.5% of strawberry production – 13.3 (1000t) (2nd place)
18.4% of tangerine production – 199.8 (1000t) (3rd place)
10.1% of pumpkin production – 42.4 (1000t) (3rd place)
13.2% of potato production – 510.9 (1000t) (4th place)
9.4% of soybean production – 14,513.00 (1000t) (4th place)
6.6% of sunflower production – 4.7 (1000t) (4th place)
11.5% watermelon production – 245.3 (1000t) (5th place)
livestock
Rio Grande do Sul stands out in the production of animal proteins, both in the Pampa biome region – naturally conducive to livestock activity, as well as in regions of small property and family farming, in the mountains and in the valleys. Beef, one of the most traditional products in the state and the center of the gaucho identity, stands out for its quality and premium profile, with mainly European-origin cattle breeds cultivated.
As for the number of herds, the representativeness of RS in relation to Brazil, in 2021, was:
14.8% of the sheep herd - 3,030,419 heads (3rd place)
11.7% of the swine herd - 581,544 heads (3rd place)
8.5% of poultry stock - 21,638,223 heads (3rd place)
4.9% of the cattle herd - 11,056,530 heads (8th place)
As for products derived from animal origin, production in Rio Grande do Sul, in relation to Brazil, was:
94.8% of the wool produced – 7,869 (ton.) (1st place)
16.5% of honey - 9,212 (ton.) (1st place)
12.4% of the milk produced - 4,385,198 thousand liters (3rd place)
8.4% of bovine leather production - 622,810 units (7th place)
7.9% of eggs - 381,425 thousand dozen (4th place)
Sources: for grains, data from the Conab estimate (8th survey, 2023) were used. Fruits, vegetables and animal products are PPM – IBGE (2021).
Viticulture
RS is the main producer of wine and sparkling wine in Brazil, accounting for approximately 90% of the total. In addition to the traditional wine region of Serra Gaúcha, there are several other production centers under development, such as the regions of Campanha, Campos de Cima da Serra and Serra do Sudeste, for example. In December 2021, 3,283 people were employed in the sector¹.
As for production, in 2021 RS was responsible for producing 43.5 million liters of fine wines, 173.9 million liters of table wines, 100.9 million liters of grape juice and 169 million liters of other grape-derived beverages, totaling a total production of 487.4 million liters. The most used grapes are Chardonnay, Moscato Bianco and Riesling Itálico (white grapes) and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tannat (red grapes).
sparkling wines
The city of Garibaldi, close to Bento Gonçalves, is the greatest Brazilian exponent of sparkling wines.
Source: Brazilian Union of Viticulture (UVIBRA)
¹Concerning links to CNAE: Wine manufacturing.
Agricultural machines and implements
RS is the largest national producer in this segment, with 62% of all agricultural machinery and implements in the country being produced in Rio Grande do Sul and 29,200 employees in the sector.
The production chain in the state covers all stages, from pre-harvest to post-harvest: self-propelled agricultural machinery, agricultural tractors, non-automotive agricultural machinery, agricultural implements, silos and silage equipment, grain storage and drying, selection and seed treatment; scales for agricultural use, fences, gates and similar equipment for rural use, tools for agricultural use, gardening and forestry; between others.
The segment is made up of companies of different sizes, from small family businesses to global manufacturers of tractors and harvesters, such as AGCO, Agrale, John Deere, Stara and Mahindra Tratores.
Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I)
The State of Rio Grande do Sul has a wide network of R&D&I for the agroindustry, including universities, research centers, parks and technological poles and incubators.
- Emater (Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company)
- UVIBRA (Brazilian Union of Viticulture)
- Irga (Rio Grandense Rice Institute)
- Embrapa Grape and Wine
- Embrapa Wheat
- Embrapa Temperate Climate
- Embrapa Livestock South