Brasil
EUA
Paraguai
Last month, moisture meters from the MS Metrology Agency, Metrology and Quality Institutes of Goiás, and Minas Gerais were updated.
The first projections by the Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab) for the 2024/2025 grain harvest estimate 322.47 million tons, representing an 8.3% increase compared to the previous season. If confirmed, this will be the largest harvest recorded by Conab, reinforcing Brazil’s strategic role in global grain production.
Given this scenario, preparation within the production chain becomes essential to ensure efficiency, safety, and reliability in the grain trading process.
Responding to this growing demand, Loc Solution, the main entity responsible for the Motomco brand of moisture meters, has intensified its equipment update efforts. Last month, the company performed upgrades on various devices used in the Metrology Laboratories of the State Metrology Agency of Mato Grosso do Sul, the Superintendency of the National Institute of Metrology and Quality of Goiás, and the Institute of Metrology and Quality of Minas Gerais.
“These updates aim to enhance the accuracy and reliability of grain moisture data, an essential factor for ensuring transparency in commercial transactions within the agricultural sector,” says Roney Smolareck, agronomist at Loc Solution.
Luiz Marcelo Scalioni, director of the Institute of Metrology and Quality of Minas Gerais, highlights that maintaining moisture meters is a critical step to ensure that equipment meets the standards required by metrological legislation. “Regular maintenance of the equipment is essential to keep the meters operating within allowable error margins, ensuring greater accuracy in measurements,” explains Scalioni.
Luciana Boni Cogo, Technical Director of the State Metrology Agency of MS, adds that the precision of updated moisture meters prevents result distortions and potential financial losses for producers and buyers. “Regular maintenance contributes to transparent buying and selling operations, ensuring the equipment meets the parameters stipulated by regulations. A mere 1% error in measurements could lead to significant losses in large-scale transactions,” Luciana notes.
Bruno Gregório Menita, researcher and technologist in Metrology and Quality at the INMETRO Superintendency of Goiás, stresses that updating moisture curves in the instruments is essential. He emphasizes that measurement accuracy ensures compliance with INMETRO regulations. “The main benefits are the reliability of the results, which directly impact commercial transactions, and the instrument’s compliance with legislation, avoiding failures during metrological verifications or inspections by regulatory bodies,” Menita states.
The equipment updates include replacing older models with newer ones, installing new components, and updating software.
Equipment compliance with Ordinance No. 47, from February 2022, is a central aspect of this process. Accurate grain moisture measurement is critical, as this variable directly affects product quality during harvest, transport, and storage. Moisture control not only ensures proper storage but also influences grain value. “Knowing the moisture content facilitates transshipment, trading, and price determination,” explains Roney Smolareck, adding that Motomco moisture meters are designed to cater to a wide range of crops, including soybeans, corn, wheat, and beans.
Loc Solution/Motomco – Loc Solution, based in Curitiba, owns the Motomco brand of grain moisture meters. The company manufactures, sells, and rents these devices, being a reference in various agricultural regions across the country. Of Canadian origin, the Motomco brand is the national leader in the grain moisture meter segment. For more information, visit motomco.com.br.
