Every great forest starts with a little care. It is in specialized nurseries that seeds are transformed into thousands of seedlings every year. It is on this first step that one of the most important production chains in Santa Catarina depends, the state has the largest planted area of ??pine in Brazil, with 714 thousand hectares, in addition to another 325 thousand hectares of eucalyptus, according to data from the Forest Base Statistical Yearbook for the state of Santa Catarina 2025. The largest concentration of planted forests is in the Serrana and Oeste regions, which together represent 59% of the total cultivated area in the state. Having been in the sector for around 18 years, forest seedling producer Rafael Mayer grows approximately 700,000 seedlings including pine, eucalyptus and yerba mate every year at the Mayer Plantas nursery, in Iomerê (SC). The seedlings are intended mainly for rural producers and forestry companies in Santa Catarina. After completing his degree in Agricultural Engineering, Rafael saw the nursery as an opportunity to meet the demand of the property, which has an area destined for reforestation. "My father was already working with eucalyptus planting and we saw at the nursery a way to produce our own seedlings. Little by little, the activity grew and today we serve producers and companies from practically the entire state of Santa Catarina", he says. Credit to cultivate a sustainable future To maintain production, Rafael used the Plano Safra funding line to purchase seeds, the main input used in the nursery. "Practically all the resources were allocated to the acquisition of seeds, mainly pine. We work with materials certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, supplied by reference companies in the market", he explains. According to him, access to credit makes a difference mainly because it allows you to purchase inputs at the ideal time, ensuring better planning and negotiation conditions. "The purchase of seeds takes place at a very specific time of the year. With the resources available, we were able to purchase all the material at once, taking advantage of better prices and guaranteeing the inputs that will be used over the next few months in the production of seedlings", he states. For the president of Cresol Ativa, Gilson Panceri Junior, by supporting the production of different crops, the Safra Plan reinforces Cresol's commitment to development in the countryside. “Whether for food production, livestock farming or reforestation, the cooperative offers financial solutions that meet the needs of members and contribute to economic development and environmental preservation”, he highlights. Special series Safra Plan Since 2003, the Safra Plan has been one of the main tools for encouraging the development of Brazilian agribusiness, with credit lines for funding, investment and modernization of rural properties. In this special series of reports on the Safra Plan, Cresol presents available financing modalities and shows how producers from different activities use these resources to strengthen their businesses, expand production and invest in the future. The articles will be published on Tuesdays, between the months of June and August. Read more about the Safra Plan: Safra Plan: producer from Rio Grande do Sul uses a costing line to cultivate porongos Safra Plan boosts cassava production and family succession in the Northwest of Paraná Cresol exceeds R$ 16.8 billion in the 25/26 Safra Plan and projects a new positive cycle About Cresol With 31 years of history, more than 1 million members and 1,050 relationship agencies in Brazil, Cresol is one of the main cooperative financial institutions of the country. Focusing on personalized service, it provides financial solutions for individuals, companies and rural enterprises.