Suzano, a global reference in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from the cultivation of eucalyptus, is building a nursery with the capacity to produce 35 million eucalyptus seedlings per year that will meet the demand of the massive forest of its new factory in Ribas do Rio Pardo (MS).
One of the company's most modern and sustainable structures, the structure occupies an area of around 21 hectares and will have a constructed area of 111,000 m², and should be completed in mid-2024. During the works, around 300 people will be employed and, when in operation, 200 direct jobs will be generated.
“For Suzano, in addition to being an essential raw material for our products, trees represent a great symbol of renewal and, through the new seedling nursery that we are building next to our new factory, we are guaranteed that the cycle planting of the forest base will be increasingly productive and sustainable. To this end, sustainable methods and processes are being used, such as the rational use of water and the use of energy generated by the new factory, reinforcing the company's commitment to people and the planet. After all, we believe that 'it's only good for us if it's good for the world'", emphasizes Maurício Miranda, director of engineering at Suzano.
The structure will also have bioecological equipment that will be able to guarantee a highly technological and sustainable operation. “The Ribas do Rio Pardo nursery will have two machines for the production of biodegradable tubes, which will allow the cultivation of eucalyptus seedlings in containers produced from a mixture of organic compounds, removing the need to use plastic materials from the process.” comments Rodrigo Zagonel, executive forestry manager at Suzano.
In addition to being powered by renewable energy, the structure will also have automated irrigation processes that will be defined by human action, but triggered by an electronic system. The seedlings will also provide greater quality and cost reduction for the forestry operation in the region of Ribas do Rio Pardo.
Forest massif
According to the latest Summary of the company's Forest Management Plan, released in 2022, Suzano has approximately 458.4 thousand hectares of eucalyptus planted forests and 169.3 thousand hectares destined exclusively for the conservation of biodiversity in Mato Grosso do Sul . By the end of the construction and implementation of the new plant, scheduled for the second half of 2024, the company should expand the forestry base in the state to 600,000 hectares.
“At Suzano, we follow a policy of responsible production and consumption and, therefore, we adopted a policy of zero deforestation. All of our eucalyptus forests are located in areas that were already occupied by other crops. This policy is part of our public commitment to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, setting aside more than 35% of our own areas for the preservation of native forests. In this sense, we are implementing ecological corridors in all states where we maintain operations with the goal of connecting more than 500 thousand hectares of the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Amazon biomes”, adds Maurício Miranda.
In Mato Grosso do Sul, the ecological corridor was launched in March this year with the aim of connecting 136 thousand hectares of priority areas for environmental conservation in the Cerrado biome, through the implementation of a 394-kilometer ecological corridor in the state. The initiative foresees reforestation actions with native seedlings connecting priority areas of six municipalities (Água Clara, Brasilândia, Ribas do Rio Pardo, Santa Rita do Pardo, Selvíria and Três Lagoas).
Source: Suzano
