The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), through Ordinance 1,187/24, published on October 14, opened a public hearing on a proposal that establishes requirements and procedures for the record of agricultural aviation operators and accreditation of educational entities. The proposed ordinance also establishes guidelines for agricultural aviation courses, operational planning, information record, and rules for execution of agricultural aviation operations.

Contributions will be accepted for 60 days and end on December 13.

MAIN POINTS PROPOSED

  • REGISTRATION

The suggested text defines criteria for carrying out agricultural aviation operations in Brazil, establishing requirements for registration of operators of manned and remotely piloted aircraft.

The operator's registration will apply to the categories listed below and must be made on Mapa's digital platform, with the necessary information and documents, according to the operator's category subcategory, and aircraft type:

  • Private operator, within the subcategories:
  • farmer – individual;
  • rural company – legal entity;
  • cooperative or consortium – legal entity; or
  • Public agency – legal entity.
  • Service provider, within the subcategory:
  • Aeroagricultural Service Provider Company – Legal Entity.

 

  • ACCREDITATION OF EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES

According to the proposal, to carry out an agricultural aviation course, the educational entity must be previously accredited by Mapa and meet requirements such as:

  • Have registered according to activities allowed by Mapa, pursuant to the National Registry of Legal Entities with the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE);
  • Have at least one instructor with a valid agricultural aviation coordinator certification and higher education in the area of agricultural sciences, in a course that contains a discipline of pesticide application technology and the like in its curriculum;
  • Have the other instructors, if any, with higher education; and
  • Have adequate resources, structure, equipment, and materials, according to the course offered.

 

  • PLANNING OF AGRICULTURAL AVIATION OPERATIONS

The proposed rule also provides that operational planning is a prior and mandatory step for each agricultural aviation operation. The following information must be presented:

  • Period of operation/date and time;
  • Operation Characteristic – manned or remotely piloted fixed-wing or remotely piloted multirotor;
  • location of the operation (geographic coordinates);
  • location of the runway, in the case of manned aircraft or remotely piloted fixed-wing aircraft (geographic coordinates);
  • contractor identification;
  • survey map of the areas to be applied, including sensitive areas;
  • culture to be treated;
  • trade name of the product(s) to be applied;
  • numbers of the agronomic prescription(s), when applicable.

The information and records must be kept on file for a minimum of five years after the end of each agricultural operation.

  • RULES FOR AGRICULTURAL AVIATION OPERATIONS

The suggested text also defines specific rules for carrying out agricultural aviation operations with manned aircraft and drones. If approved, it is established that agricultural aerospace operations with pesticides and the like carried out with manned or remotely piloted aircraft must follow the rules and recommendations provided for in the package insert or specific standard, if any, in order to protect human health and the environment, in addition to avoiding harmful effects on crops and livestock susceptible to the products applied.

  • DECONTAMINATION YARD

The remnants of pesticide mixture, related and adjuvants, as well as the residues from washing and cleaning the aircraft or ground support equipment must be disposed of in a decontamination yard approved by Mapa.

After public hearing and approval of the final text, the rule will replace Normative Ruling Mapa 2/08, which deals with manned operations, and Ordinance Mapa 298/21, which deals with drones.

Contributions must be sent through the Monitoring System of Normative Acts – Sisman, of the Brazilian Secretariat of Agricultural Defense.

The Life Sciences & Healthcare practice can provide more information on the topic.