THE IMPORTANCE OF VETERINARIANS IN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

Veterinarians work in agricultural establishments, playing a fundamental role in ensuring the technical, legal, and commercial safety of these establishments. Therefore, this work analyzes the relevance of the veterinarian's role as Technical Responsible (RT) in agricultural stores, through a bibliographic and documentary review of CRMV manuals, federal legislation (Laws No. 5,050/68 and 5,517/68; Decree No. 5,053/2004; CFMV Resolution No. 1069/2014), and national academic studies (Moura & Luxinger, 2023; Meira & Vieira, 2024). The main results indicate that 79.2% of product recommendations are based on the veterinarian's technical knowledge, and 66.7% of sales clerks prefer technical visits, demonstrating a direct impact on the establishment's credibility and consumer safety. The presence of a veterinarian with a minimum workload favors inventory organization, compliance with standards, and the reduction of irrational use of antimicrobials, reinforcing the OneHealth approach. It is concluded that formalizing the veterinarian's role as a veterinarian provides legal support, improves operational efficiency, and strengthens the commercial competitiveness of agricultural companies. It is recommended that this practice be institutionalized, with a clear definition of responsibilities, and that additional quantitative studies be conducted to measure the economic, health, and epidemiological impacts resulting from their work.