EN 
PT_BR 
A Mato Grosso native at heart, Cláudio Luís Schons, originally from Rio Grande do Sul, found an opportunity in Lucas do Rio Verde to continue practicing the trade passed down by his father. In 1988, at the age of 11, he arrived in the state, and his family began their life in agriculture, producing cassava flour and yerba mate. After a few years, they shifted to cultivating soybeans and corn. A member of the Mato Grosso Soybean and Corn Producers Association (Aprosoja MT), Schons emphasized the importance of agriculture to the world and highlighted his pride in being a rural producer.
Initially, Mato Grosso was marked by resistance from those who came seeking new opportunities to work. This was no different for Cláudio Schons, who highlighted some of the main difficulties faced at that time.
“When we moved here from Rio Grande do Sul, the biggest difficulty we encountered was the lack of electricity in the countryside, whereas in the south it was already commonplace. Furthermore, where I lived, I could choose two or three schools; I lived right at a crossroads, I could pick and choose my schools, and here in Mato Grosso we faced this educational challenge,” he recalled.
Photo: Gilson Abreu
The farmer managed a property with his father and sister for 22 years, but in 2020 an opportunity arose to manage a farm with his wife, Lucimeire Mattos Schons. “In 2020, due to the pandemic, we reconsidered and decided to pursue solo careers. So, since 2020, my wife, who was a civil servant at the city hall, left her job and came to help me with the fiscal aspects of the farm, and I took on the practical, day-to-day side. And we managed to interact with our children, bringing them along,” he said.
Even with the change, the Schons family continued contributing to local growth through agriculture. Looking back on their entire history in agriculture, Cláudio highlighted his pride in contributing to the development of Mato Grosso and also in providing food for the world.
After his "solo career" in agriculture, Cláudio began to involve his children more in the care of the property. He explained that his youngest son, Vitor de Mattos Schons, will inherit the task of tending the crops, since his eldest daughter, Maria Eduarda Mattos Schons, pursued a career in the health field.
During the conversation, Cláudio also spoke about the importance of Aprosoja MT in responsibly disseminating information to rural producers. The association collaborates in preventing problems, helping to overcome potential obstacles. “Aprosoja MT, through these annual events and meetings, provides a broad understanding of what is happening in the state or any problems that we can prevent. So, joining was good because it was a positive aspect, bringing news more quickly,” he emphasized.
Stories like that of Cláudio Luís Schons make Aprosoja MT continue to believe in the strength of the state's rural production and seek to further strengthen the sector.
