In homeopathy, applied in grain crops, vegetables, fruit and milk production, the process is the same for medicines intended for the treatment of diseases in humans. Preparations are produced from substances extracted from nature (minerals, vegetables or animals). These substances undergo high dilution techniques in water or alcohol and specific dynamic (agitation).The technique leads to the manufacture of medicines capable of stimulating the defense system of organisms and resisting diseases and attacks of insects and pests, as well as climatic or environmental impacts, such as drought and frost.

In Claraval, in the southwest of Minas Gerais, many family farmers affiliated to the Cooperativa das Agricultores e Agricultores Orgânicos de Claraval e Região (Coorganic), which also includes producers from seven other nearby municipalities, have already joined the therapeutic specialty to take care of their coffee, vegetable and fruit plantations, grown in the system. The technique is also used in dairy farming. Emater-MG provides technical assistance and accompanies the cooperative members, guiding in the preparation of the substances used.

The technician of claraval's local office, Enes Pereira Barbosa, says that Coorganic began to use homeopathy from 2018, after he and some producers participated in an Agro-homeopathy course, on the campus of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), in Florestal. "It was from there that they replicated the techniques and practices of homeopathy with the other members. It was a process of demonstration of results, through field days, meetings, lectures, meetings, workshops and seminars", explains.

In addition, study groups were also created by local producers and from the municipalities of Pratápolis and Capetinga. These groups were committed to studying, practicing and applying homeopathic preparations. "Currently all cooperative members use some kind of homeopathy in their properties," he says. With the emergence of the pandemic of covid-19, today Coorganic also has a group of virtual studies, formed by extensionists and farmers, which meets weekly.

"The group includes 57 producers, plus technicians.It discusses what to use homeopathic medicines, when and how, creating a very rich exchange of experience for the strengthening of the group and the improvement of production processes", argues extensionist Enes Pereira Barbosa.

According to the technician, this is an innovative technology, low cost, which often uses insums of the property itself and that has brought excellent results. "We can highlight cases of vegetable gardens and coffee crops affected by frost. As they had been treated with homeopathy, the recovery was much better than untreated crops", he assures.

Family farmer Adelina Maria Pereira de Souza and her husband Luciano Riarto Santana are among the first co-members of Coorganic to use homeopathy in their plantations, in Sitio dos Ipês. The initiative started in 2017 and some applications have been preventive.

"We use it as a prevention often, and the results are excellent," says Adelina, who pointed out how coffee was, after heavy frost in the region last year. "Even with a fall in them, because the frost was very strong, the coffee held up well and the sprouting was good, different from the neighbor, where the coffee feet burned and the sprouting was delayed. This will force him to use other products. Not us," he said.

Another example of a problem fought by the couple with homeopathic preparations was the appearance of the so-called coffee rust. Provoked by a fungus, the disease causes spots on the leaves of a coloring that goes from dark yellow to brown, causing the plant to defoliate. With the application of Arnica Montana 6CH, rust has been annihilated. "Now you see the leaf pin, turn to the other side and it's all erased. Homeopathy caused the plant to react against sporiosis. The coffee is a wonder", explained the extensionist Enes Pereira.

The property of Adelina and Luciano is 5.8 hectares and is located in the district of Três Barras, in Claraval. It has six certifications, one of which is Certifica Minas, granted by the Minas Gerais Institute of Agriculture (IMA). The production is organic and well diversified. The couple works with 12,000 feet of coffee, various vegetables (lettuce, almeirão, chicory, green smell, tomato, carrot, beetroot, chuchu and pepper) and fruit (banana, mango, guava, jabuticaba, pitanga, strawberry and seriguela).

All production is certified, and the coffee is exported and sold to private individuals. Vegetables and fruits are marketed to the National School Feeding Program (Pnae) and to the 120 private clients of the farmers' couple, being delivered to the home weekly, from the pandemic. Homeopathic products are prepared and applied in all plantations by Luciano Riarto, under the supervision of the extension ist of the local Emater-MG.

Coorganic began in 2017, from the action of 12 women who wanted to sell organic vegetables to Pnae and had to issue invoice. They were organized and, in May of that year, founded the cooperative, which today has 63 cooperative members, including men and women, from 16 municipalities of Minas Gerais and six municipalities of São Paulo.

Dirce de Souza Rodrigues, president of the cooperative, is beginning to use homeopathic preparations, but says that the reports of the cooperative members always highlight the positive impacts of homeopathy on cultures. "From what I have heard here from the testimonies, in our group, the results are excellent," he said.

With the help of extensionist Enes Pereira, she joined the experiment and last week applied for the first time the Arnica Montana 6CH, in the conventional coffee crop. It was last Thursday. We did the experiment to fight the drill and rust. Now we are waiting," he said.

Dirce owns the 15.8-hectare Capoerão Site in the Porteira da Pedra district of Claraval. On site, it also produces vegetables, cassava and bananas in the organic system. The products are marketed to Pnae, in Claraval, and Franca, são Paulo. She also sells vegetables to private clients.

* With information from Emater-MG

Source: Agrolink