15 years ago, Iranildo da Silva Santana decided to invest in mango cultivation. It started with two hectares in the Mansueto de Lavor Settlement, in the São Francisco Valley, in Petrolina (PE). Today, there are 11.5 hectares, 6 of which are already in adult production. "Here I started with two. In reality, I planted everything right away", he recalls, almost laughing at the rush of decades ago. The choice for mango was not by chance. "For me, it was better in terms of labor, of everything. And the mango production here in the São Francisco Valley region is wonderful. You put it into production, it has the capacity to produce 50 tons per hectare", he explains. Iranildo grows the palmer, tommy and rosa varieties and also plants corn and papaya intercropped in the outdoor areas. But he has a declared preference for the palmer sleeve. In this area alone, it harvests around 900 thousand boxes per harvest. Before the water arrived Production faced a problem: there was not enough water for the entire crop and the solution was to water at night, hiding from the sun and saving on the electricity bill. The difficulty was not just Iranildo's. According to the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA), the semi-arid climate covers much of the Northeast and the north of Minas Gerais, a region of irregular rainfall and long periods of drought, where artificial irrigation becomes fundamental for much of agriculture. "It was midnight, opening record by record, with the torch, getting wet at night to save money, so as not to pay the expensive energy bill. I didn't even sleep properly. I would go to sleep at dawn, there was time when I thought about giving up", remembers the member of the cooperative. The turning point came with the rural credit of the Safra Plan. He expanded the pipeline that carries water from the river to the property, in the Mansueto area. It was an investment of approximately R$180 thousand, with part financed by Cresol. Then, he set up a complete irrigation system: pipes, floats, pumps, micro sprinklers, hoses. There were almost R$400 thousand in total, also with resources financed by the cooperative. "After this Harvest Plan arrived, for me it was wonderful. Before, I managed the property without any bank resources. Today I can produce my mangoes, make the investments I need, such as adding limestone, plaster and correcting the areas. This helps a lot. If it weren't for this credit, I don't know what would become of me", summarizes Iranildo. One credit, 100 families Today, the property employs four permanent employees and Iranildo has the support of his wife, Rosicleide, and his son, who help out on the weekends. But the impact goes beyond the gate. According to the producer, around 100 families in the settlement currently make their living from irrigated fruit growing, a number that would have been unthinkable at a time when water barely reached the end of the row of plants. "This is the breadwinner. Everyone is turning to fruit farming, when it's not grapes, it's mangoes, it's pine cones." The cooperative member is also emphatic about the role of accessible credit in this scenario: "With this cheaper rate, we can have a higher margin, without being so worried about the cost at the time of sale. There are many producers here who get financing through the cooperative because it offers conditions to work. I tried at other banks myself, but I couldn't. In addition to the interest rates being high, the amount offered was very low", he adds. On the other side of the counter, those who follow Iranildo and Rosicleide closely at the cooperative are Higor Emanuel de Carvalho Alves, account manager at the Cresol branch in Lagoa Grande. According to Higor, the Vale do São Francisco property has an irrigated fruit growing profile that has grown in the agency's portfolio. The manager emphasizes that the cooperative's support is not limited to the release of credit. "We helped in these crucial moments, such as the installation of the solar panel and the entire irrigation part." There is also recurring support during the harvest season, when the cost of labor weighs more on the producer's cash flow: "In the harvesting process, which has a high cost of labor, we assist with BNDES and the cooperative's own funding lines". BNDES and also in the application of resources. The most exported fruit in Brazil Iranildo's trajectory follows a much larger movement. In 2025, mango was consolidated as the most exported fruit in Brazil, with a record of more than 290 thousand tons shipped and revenue of US$ 335.1 million, according to a report released by Embrapa in its Mango Observatory. Atkins. Part of this strength comes from the PI-Manga Irrigation Project, in operation in the region since 2002. According to Embrapa, in 2025 the program already had 38 thousand hectares under irrigated management, responsible for around 152 thousand direct and indirect jobs, an average of one permanent direct job and three indirect jobs for each hectare cultivated. Iranildo's story summarizes what these numbers try to measure: a family that changed the lantern and the dragged hose. at dawn for an irrigation system built with credit, sweat and faith. "First I want to thank God, who gives me strength, courage and determination to fight. And, second, to the Cresol cooperative, which gave me all the encouragement, all the strength, all the support for me to work. Today, I have 11.5 hectares of mangoes and I am very grateful to the cooperative's employees who have always served me and believed in my work." Special series Plano Safra Since 2003, the Plano Safra has been one of the main tools for encouraging the development of Brazilian agribusiness, with lines of credit for funding, investment and modernization of rural properties. In this special series of reports on the Plano Safra, Cresol presents available financing modalities and shows how producers from different activities use these resources to strengthen their business, expand production and invest in the future. The articles will be published on Tuesdays, between the months of June and August.