Rocha Around the World

In our monthly feature Rocha Around the World, we give a voice to the international customers and partners who are part of our global family.

This time, we travel to Uruguay to discover the experience of VISCA, a partner who has been working with us since 2013 and who found in Pulverizadores Rocha a company focused on supporting and maintaining close relationships with its partners.

Agriculture in Uruguay: a small nation with an enormous agricultural weight

Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America, but its importance on the global agricultural stage is inversely proportional to its territory. With a total area of just 176,000 square kilometres, the country manages to have the agro-industry account for between 14% and 16% of its GDP and be responsible for around 80% of its total goods exports, a figure that places Uruguay in a unique position in the regional and global context.

The country's productive base is diverse and solid: beef, soya, pulp, milk, rice, wheat and barley are the pillars of an export-oriented economy that supplies markets in China, Europe, the United States and throughout Latin America. In 2025, Uruguayan exports reached their highest value in the last ten years, totalling 13.5 billion dollars, driven mainly by the performance of the agro-industry and the recovery of international commodity prices.

Uruguay also stands out for its level of professionalisation and sustainability. It is one of the first countries in the world to require soil management and crop rotation plans for properties of more than 50 hectares, in a model that combines productivity with the conservation of natural resources. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, the integration of crop farming and livestock production, and investment in technological innovation make Uruguayan agribusiness a case study in efficiency and environmental responsibility.

However, the agricultural machinery market in Uruguay is currently experiencing considerable pressure. Investment in agricultural machinery fell by 5% year-on-year in 2025, marking three consecutive years of decline. This context reflects lower profitability in the agricultural sector, as well as the competitiveness challenges associated with domestic costs and the exchange rate. Nevertheless, the structural strength of Uruguayan agribusiness and its export-oriented nature continue to create the conditions for a consistent recovery when the cycle changes.

In Latin America, Pulverizadores Rocha has invested in building strong relationships with local distributors and partners, capable of ensuring not only the sale of the equipment, but also the technical support and after-sales service that professional customers demand. It is this network of proximity, even at a distance, that has enabled the Portuguese company to grow sustainably in a continent-sized region with highly diverse agricultural realities. Uruguay is one of the markets where this strategy has developed naturally. A country that is small in territory, but great in terms of technical requirements and agricultural culture, where VISCA has represented Pulverizadores Rocha with the professionalism and dedication that a long-standing partnership requires.

VISCA: a partnership built on proximity, trust and quality

The story of VISCA and Pulverizadores Rocha begins, like so many good stories, through one person: Miguel Nestor Tale, the commercial representative for Latin America and a friend of the Uruguayan partner. It was through this relationship of friendship and trust that VISCA discovered Rocha equipment, and quickly realised that it was dealing with a company that deserved its attention and commitment.

This discovery took place in 2013, and since then the partnership has withstood difficult economic cycles, adverse circumstances and the inevitable changes that any market undergoes over more than a decade. What has remained constant is the quality of the equipment, the seriousness of the relationship and the mutual trust between the two teams.

What motivated VISCA to start working with Pulverizadores Rocha?

VISCA's answer is as simple as it is revealing: "I really liked the finish of the machines." This is what distinguishes a truly well-built piece of equipment from a merely functional product. The finish of an agricultural machine is not simply an aesthetic detail: it reflects the manufacturing culture of the company that produces it, its attention to detail, its respect for the user and its pride in a job well done.

For a distributor who is going to present this equipment to their own customers, the first impression a machine makes matters greatly. And from the very first contact, Rocha products conveyed exactly what VISCA was looking for: visible quality, solid construction and the small finishing details that distinguish good equipment from excellent equipment. It was this initial impression, subsequently confirmed over the years through real-world experience in the field, that sealed the beginning of this partnership.

What makes Pulverizadores Rocha a reliable long-term partner?

For VISCA, the answer has both a commercial and a human dimension: "The peace of mind of offering my customers a product of the highest quality." This statement is, in itself, very eloquent. It is not only about trusting the product, but also about being able to pass that confidence on to their own customers, without reservations or hesitation.

In a market where a distributor's reputation depends directly on the quality of the products they represent, working with Pulverizadores Rocha provides peace of mind. When a customer purchases equipment through VISCA, the Uruguayan partner knows that there will be no unpleasant surprises, that the equipment will deliver on its promises and that the customer will be satisfied. This certainty, built over more than a decade of real-world experience, is, for VISCA, the strongest argument for continuing to represent the company.

How would you describe the communication with the Pulverizadores Rocha team?

"Excellent, because I can count on the support I need whenever I need it." VISCA's answer captures, in a single sentence, what truly matters in an international partnership: knowing that, when a need arises, there is someone on the other side who responds promptly. It is not a matter of constant contact or frequent meetings, but rather the certainty that support exists and is available at the right moment.

In a relationship between a distributor and a manufacturer thousands of kilometres apart, this level of availability cannot be taken for granted. But Pulverizadores Rocha has managed to build a culture of proximity with its partners that transcends geographical distance, and VISCA has benefited from this culture since the beginning of this collaboration.

How is the agricultural sector evolving in Uruguay?

VISCA's assessment is direct and without euphemisms: "Unfortunately, we are going through a severe crisis." It is an honest reading of a reality confirmed by market data: investment in agricultural machinery in Uruguay has declined for three consecutive years, a trend that reflects lower profitability in the agricultural sector, exchange rate challenges and production costs that continue to put pressure on farmers' margins.

But this crisis is neither new nor unique. The history of Uruguayan agribusiness is marked by cycles of expansion and contraction, and the country has repeatedly demonstrated a capacity for recovery that is surprising in both speed and resilience. Uruguay's export-oriented economy, with agribusiness accounting for 80% of the country's goods exports, is a structural anchor that ensures the sector's relevance regardless of short-term fluctuations. For VISCA, as for all serious professionals in the sector, the current crisis is a phase to get through, not a destination.

What opportunities do you see for growing together?

"Opportunities always arise; it is up to us to make the most of them." VISCA's answer is both pragmatic and optimistic, revealing a mature business outlook shaped by more than a decade of work in a demanding market. No specific opportunity is identified, because VISCA's conviction goes deeper than that: it is the certainty that, with the right partner, the opportunities created by the market will be seized.

One word to define Pulverizadores Rocha?

"Rocha is a family business that has given us all its support, trust and experience from the very beginning, and this has remained unchanged over time."

This sentence captures what Pulverizadores Rocha strives to be for its partners: not merely a trusted supplier, but a company with soul, history and a way of doing business that makes every partner feel part of a family.

Eight decades of history built through hard work, rigour and solid human values underpin this perception, which, more than any technical specification or commercial argument, is what enables partnerships such as the one with VISCA to endure, withstand crises and grow stronger over time.

A Portuguese company, a global family

VISCA's testimony concludes with a word that rarely appears in business vocabulary, but which precisely defines what Pulverizadores Rocha has sought to build over more than eight decades: family. A network of partners in dozens of countries, united not only by contracts and transactions, but by relationships of trust, mutual respect and a shared purpose: to bring farmers around the world equipment that makes a difference to their daily work.

The Rocha Around the World feature exists to give a voice to these stories, and will continue to do so, one partner at a time. Because every testimonial is also a reflection of who we are and what we want to continue to be.

Discover more about our equipment and our international presence at www.pulverocha.pt.