The Agricultural Zoning of Climatic Risk in Management Levels (ZarcNM) has begun operating for the first time in the Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The new modality is in a pilot phase, initially focusing on soybean cultivation in Paran\u00e1. Twenty-nine production areas, totaling approximately 2,400 hectares, have joined the initiative and contracted rural insurance, accessing differentiated subsidy percentages in the policies according to the management level adopted on the property.<\/p>\n
The pilot program uses a methodology developed by Embrapa, which allows for the classification of plots into four management levels (ML), based on objective, verifiable, and auditable indicators. Along with the ZarcNM climate risk assessments, producers and other stakeholders can verify how much the adoption of good practices can reduce the potential risks of production losses due to drought. The better the management level, the greater the insurance subsidy.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/opresenterural.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shutterstock_759949660.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nPhotos: Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Of the total area participating in the pilot project, approximately 5% was classified at level four, the best on the ZarcNM scale, resulting in a subsidy of 35% in the value of rural insurance. Of the remainder, 27% of the area was classified at management level 3, with a subsidy of 30%; 57% at level 2, with a policy subsidy of 25%; and 11% of the area remained at level 1, maintaining the standard PSR subsidy of 20%.<\/p>\n
According to Diego Almeida, director of the Risk Management Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, this new subsidy format should become permanent. "After evaluating the results of this first phase, we plan to expand the program to other states, starting with soybeans and later including corn," he says.<\/p>\n
Increased productivity and resilience<\/strong><\/h4>\nThe ZarcNM methodology helps to reduce a recurring problem in rural insurance, which is the need for more individualized risk quantification, by plot or field, according to the management of each area. By applying financial incentives, the management of the Rural Insurance Program (PSR) puts into practice a mechanism to induce good practices and adaptation of Brazilian agriculture, making it more resilient to climate variability and the increasing risks of drought.<\/p>\n
Researcher JJos\u00e9 Renato Bou\u00e7as Farias<\/a>, from the\u00a0Embrapa Soybean<\/a>\u00a0(PR) states that this ZarcNM update is very relevant because the better the level of management adopted, the lower the risk of losses due to water deficit. According to the researcher, the adoption of conservation practices is crucial to increase water infiltration and reduce surface runoff, which are common during intense rainfall and large volumes. Along with other soil management practices, they promote greater water availability to plants. \u201cImproving soil management leads to a significant increase in crop productivity, reduces the risk of losses caused by drought conditions, and increases carbon sequestration in the soil. In addition, it promotes the conservation of both soil and water resources,\u201d Farias emphasizes.<\/p>\nAccording to the researcher, non-irrigated crops, such as the vast majority of soybean areas in Brazil, rely on rainwater and soil-based water sources to meet their needs. "Management practices that increase the soil's capacity to provide more water to plants are essential to reduce the risk of losses due to drought, especially when projecting increasingly adverse climate scenarios for agricultural production," Farias emphasizes.<\/p>\n
Operating model<\/strong><\/h4>\n![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/opresenterural.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/shutterstock_1438464668.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1\")
In this model, tested for the first time, six indicators are considered: time without soil disturbance, percentage of soil cover before sowing (mulch), crop diversification in the last three agricultural years, percentage of base saturation, calcium content, and percentage of aluminum saturation. \u201cIn addition to the quantitative indicators, some prerequisites need to be observed, such as contour or level sowing,\u201d explains Farias.<\/p>\n
In the pilot program, farmers submit their projects to insurance companies and financial agents, indicating the plot to be analyzed, providing the requested information, and the soil analyses performed in accredited laboratories. This is done through a digital platform developed by [company name].\u00a0Embrapa Digital Agriculture<\/a>\u00a0(SP), the Management Levels Information System (SINM), the data are cross-referenced with remote sensing information for calculation and classification of management levels.<\/p>\nThe researcher from Embrapa Digital Agriculture and coordinator of\u00a0Zarc Research Network<\/a>,\u00a0Eduardo Monteiro<\/a>He highlights the importance of remote sensing in this process. He exemplifies this with one of the areas approved at Management Level 3, which is next to another area showing signs of erosion.<\/p>\n\u201cDespite being neighbors, the classifications can be quite different. The eroded area would not obtain a classification higher than NM1. This shows the importance of an independent and well-structured verification system to be able to observe these details in an automated way as it gains scale and the number of operations reaches the thousands,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
THE Bela Cereais<\/strong> works with the best grains on the market and also keeps you up to date with the latest news and analyses on agribusiness.
\nDon't forget to follow our social networks.<\/em><\/h6>\n
According to the researcher, non-irrigated crops, such as the vast majority of soybean areas in Brazil, rely on rainwater and soil-based water sources to meet their needs. "Management practices that increase the soil's capacity to provide more water to plants are essential to reduce the risk of losses due to drought, especially when projecting increasingly adverse climate scenarios for agricultural production," Farias emphasizes.<\/p>\n
Operating model<\/strong><\/h4>\nIn this model, tested for the first time, six indicators are considered: time without soil disturbance, percentage of soil cover before sowing (mulch), crop diversification in the last three agricultural years, percentage of base saturation, calcium content, and percentage of aluminum saturation. \u201cIn addition to the quantitative indicators, some prerequisites need to be observed, such as contour or level sowing,\u201d explains Farias.<\/p>\n
In the pilot program, farmers submit their projects to insurance companies and financial agents, indicating the plot to be analyzed, providing the requested information, and the soil analyses performed in accredited laboratories. This is done through a digital platform developed by [company name].\u00a0Embrapa Digital Agriculture<\/a>\u00a0(SP), the Management Levels Information System (SINM), the data are cross-referenced with remote sensing information for calculation and classification of management levels.<\/p>\nThe researcher from Embrapa Digital Agriculture and coordinator of\u00a0Zarc Research Network<\/a>,\u00a0Eduardo Monteiro<\/a>He highlights the importance of remote sensing in this process. He exemplifies this with one of the areas approved at Management Level 3, which is next to another area showing signs of erosion.<\/p>\n\u201cDespite being neighbors, the classifications can be quite different. The eroded area would not obtain a classification higher than NM1. This shows the importance of an independent and well-structured verification system to be able to observe these details in an automated way as it gains scale and the number of operations reaches the thousands,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
THE Bela Cereais<\/strong> works with the best grains on the market and also keeps you up to date with the latest news and analyses on agribusiness.
\nDon't forget to follow our social networks.<\/em><\/h6>\n
In this model, tested for the first time, six indicators are considered: time without soil disturbance, percentage of soil cover before sowing (mulch), crop diversification in the last three agricultural years, percentage of base saturation, calcium content, and percentage of aluminum saturation. \u201cIn addition to the quantitative indicators, some prerequisites need to be observed, such as contour or level sowing,\u201d explains Farias.<\/p>\nThe researcher from Embrapa Digital Agriculture and coordinator of\u00a0Zarc Research Network<\/a>,\u00a0Eduardo Monteiro<\/a>He highlights the importance of remote sensing in this process. He exemplifies this with one of the areas approved at Management Level 3, which is next to another area showing signs of erosion.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite being neighbors, the classifications can be quite different. The eroded area would not obtain a classification higher than NM1. This shows the importance of an independent and well-structured verification system to be able to observe these details in an automated way as it gains scale and the number of operations reaches the thousands,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nTHE Bela Cereais<\/strong> works with the best grains on the market and also keeps you up to date with the latest news and analyses on agribusiness.
\nDon't forget to follow our social networks.<\/em><\/h6>\n