Vale do Sol (RS) – Sitting in a chair in the yard of his house after closing his workday, Paulo Alberto Werner closely watches the large flow of vehicles on the RSC-287, the main highway in Vale do Rio Pardo. The situation contrasts with the silence when walking a few meters towards the back of the three-hectare property, located in Faxinal de Dentro, in the interior of Vale do Sol (RS). What few people know is that the contrast between day-to-day life and spare time represents the reality of the driver’s and farmer’s life.
For over 20 years, Paulo, who is 46 years old, has divided himself between being a farmer and a driver. Professions closely monitored by his wife Magda Scherer, 36 years old, a life partner and professional routine at the carrier. Partnership is also the word that made up Paulo’s work trajectory with UTC Brasil. Since the beginning of joint activities, he has acted as a transporter and farmer for the company. “When I say that I accumulate both, people are scared right away, because they are professions that demand a lot. But happily I can say that I have been doing it for more than two decades, and with the help I have from my wife and UTC, everything has worked out so far and will continue to do so”, he says.
An integrated farmer at UTC, Paulo cultivates 30,000 plants of Virginia tobacco, using the same area to plant soy in the off-season. When it comes to heavy loads, he, who was one of the first transporters hired by UTC Brasil in the 2000s, is responsible for transporting the production of 150 farmers from Vale do Sol and neighboring cities to the company’s headquarters. Within UTC, he also works with two other drivers, hired to provide services for TransWerner, a company headed by him. “Fortunately, over all these years, I have built a relationship of trust with the farmers and the company. I have a whole script for picking up the bales at the properties, taking care with the labels so that there is no confusion. And there at the company we do the intermediate farmer/industry, as well as the transport of processed tobacco”, he explains.
PREFERENCE – The passion for agriculture comes from birth. Son of farmers, Paulo continued in his profession thanks to his father’s appreciation and encouragement. The property where he lives today is also next door to the warehouse where he saw his father negotiating production with UTC Brasil so many times. For this affective memory of childhood and days with the patriarch in the fields, he is emphatic when asked about his preference for one of the professions. “Without a doubt, being a farmer is what makes me most happy. I wouldn’t trade the peace of the farm for anything”, he concludes.
