Brazilian Farmers Lack Internet Service Their Equipment Needs

 

Brazil’s lack of dependable internet service in rural areas is an increasingly critical problem for farmers.

It comes at a time when more agriculture equipment arriving on the market depends on modern telecommunications. Some pieces of equipment require the internet for computer software updates. These programs help the machinery¹ operate at full capacity.

Brazil’s agriculture industry has grown quickly over the past 10 years. This has put the country as a leader of food production worldwide. But problems involving technology and other infrastructure² remain. This includes the issue of internet coverage³.

TIM Participa??es is the Brazil-based business of Telecom Italia Spa, Italy’s largest telecommunications company. The business estimates that less than 10 percent of Brazilian farms have internet access. As a comparison, over 70 percent of farmers in the United States have access to high-speed internet. That information comes from a 2017 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This is a structural⁴ issue that we have in Brazil that we need to solve,” notes Christian⁵ Gonzalez. He is an official with Case IH, the agricultural machines division of CNH Industrial NV. He spoke⁶ with the Reuters news agency.

Gonzalez pointed⁷ out that modern equipment such as harvesters and planters can be updated while they are operating. This makes them able to produce more with less wasted time or effort.

U.S. equipment maker⁸ John Deere was one of the first to try and deal with this problem. In 2018, John Deere partnered with telecommunications provider Tropico to provide rural internet service in Brazil. They offered to set up equipment on farms to provide internet connectivity to machines and vehicles.

Other businesses, such as Brazilian telecom companies Oi and TIM, are doing something similar.

TIM joined forces with agricultural product suppliers such as Agco Corp, Case, Bayer and Trimble to develop the ConectarAgro program. This software program operates 4G internet connections, among the fastest in the world.

Rafael Marquez is marketing⁹ director at TIM, which signed agreements to provide 4G internet to two major farming groups in Brazil. He says the lack of internet harms Brazilian farmers’ ability to be competitive in the market.

He noted¹⁰, “The farmer wants to use apps in the field, he wants to send a video to his agronomist¹¹ when he sees a … problem ... they want to be online.”

TIM hopes to reach 5 million hectares of farms covered by internet by the end of the year. In all, Brazil has around 65 million hectares of farmland.

TIM’s competitor Oi signed a deal to provide internet to one of the farms directed by soybean producer and trader Amaggi. It will bring internet to the 87,000-hectare Tucanaré farm in Mato Grosso state.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

agronomist – n. a scientist who works with the methods used by farmers to raise crops and care for the soil

capacity – n. the ability to do something; a mental, emotional, or physical ability

infrastructure – n. the basic equipment and structures that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly

online – adj. connected to a computer, a computer network, or the Internet

update – n. a change or addition to computer software that includes the most recent information

1 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 agronomist   

n.农学家

参考例句：

• The agronomist suggested growing rice on the dried river bed.那位农学家建议在干涸的河床上种水稻。
• She has elected to become an agronomist.她决心做一个农学家。