The current moment calls for reflection. We were all living in a moment of growth and expansion of markets and abruptly we are surprised by a pandemic of viral origin, which almost immobilizes, preventing those involved in this sector to fulfill their day to day and follow up on their commitments. Fortunately, with self-denial, courage, and solidarity, there are always resilient farmers who, without confining themselves, ensure that nothing is missing in the outlets and consequently on our tables.

With the entry of our country into the common market, we reorganized ourselves. We looked at new markets and interacted with farmers and distributors from other countries. A transition agriculture was taking shape, with a reform of means and production methods. We received, as neighbors, farmers from other countries of the Community, we observed them and learned new methods, and we accessed new markets.

The average size of our property has grown, by acquisition or land consolidation. Twenty-five years ago, for example, the agricultural tractor rarely exceeded 120 horsepower, the most common being between 45 and 70 horsepower. In agricultural implements, the desired was to have a plow, scarifier or harrow, and a trailer. Look today at our farmers' machinery stock. Significantly more is produced in equivalent areas.

The economic crisis of 2008 led Herculano to look for new markets and develop new products. Today we have customers in countries such as France, Belgium, England, Denmark, Austria and even further afield such as New Zealand and Australia.

Today, our young farmers travel in Europe, visit farms and fairs, it is common to receive them in those where we exhibit. Paris or Zaragoza are good examples. They are interested and searching for new ideas. The fairs with their novelties say a lot about the evolution and sense of agriculture of our days.

We specialize as producers of agricultural equipment. In the transport of grains, seeds or undifferentiated. In the transport and application of slurry with self-supporting galvanized tanks on one, two or three axles, with 26, 30.5 or 32" rims and different widths.

We identified the market needs and provided them with the desired requirements, side loading arms, volumetric filling accelerators, and locators of different application widths.

In the testing phase, we have an 18,000l cistern with a central filling arm, with three joints, crane-like, that will allow us to fill the cistern to the left or the right, even when the slurry is in aerial tanks.

We are developing, in consortium with the INESC TEC of the U.P., solutions for the chemical analysis of macronutrients, of the liquid manure on board and its differentiated deposition using GPS, through previous analysis of the terrain.

In manure spreaders, responding to the wishes of farmers, we introduced monocoque boxes with one or two axles, a spreader group with two augers, we introduced DPA (Distribution Proportional to Advance) and we are currently with the Tecolive project, with the U.É., an orchard spreader trailer in trials to locate manure on the line in olive groves.

We introduced fast disk grids and restructured the rotary cultivators.

As in 2008, we will all come out of this crisis stronger. After all, it is the difficulties that make our ingenuity grow. Count on us, we are with you.