Dilma announces crop plan exclusively for the Semi-Arid region.
"We are going to regionalize a crop plan specifically for the semi-arid Northeast to ensure that, every time drought occurs, people don't lose their entire production," said Dilma; according to the president, the plan will improve the infrastructure of rural producers during the dry season and reduce dependence on imported corn for livestock feed.
Danilo Macedo
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Brasilia – President Dilma Rousseff, this Monday (3), in Natal, launched a specific crop plan for the Northeastern Semi-Arid region. The president went to Rio Grande do Norte to deliver backhoes and motor graders to 149 municipalities in the state for the construction and restructuring of rural roads and said that the regionalization of a specific plan for farmers in the Semi-Arid region aims at guaranteeing production.
"We are going to regionalize a crop plan specifically for the semi-arid Northeast to ensure that, every time drought occurs, people don't lose their entire production," said Dilma in a speech. According to her, the plan will improve the infrastructure for rural producers during the dry season and reduce their dependence on imported corn for livestock feed. The president also stated that the debts of farmers in the region will be "adjusted" under the new plan.
The national crop plans for 2013/2014 for both commercial and family farming will be launched this week by the government.
In her speech, the president compared the drought to the harsh winters that some countries face. "Countries that experience winters with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius, where everything is covered in snow, endure this process without regressing on the path of development. Why can't we do the same with drought?" she asked.
Dilma emphasized that it is possible to live with drought and choose the best way to deal with the damage it causes. To that end, she said, work is being done on two main axes: water security and productive security. The first is being implemented through water transfer projects, cisterns, and dams, among other works to improve the region's infrastructure.
Productive security will be implemented, from now on, through the crop plan to be announced, as well as through equipment donated for the construction and restructuring of rural roads that allow for the flow of production. In addition to resources for investments and operating costs, the plan will provide technical assistance for producers in the region. One of the main investments for productive security in the Semi-Arid region is the construction of warehouses and silos to store food.
The president also announced the release of R$ 30 million for the renovation and expansion of the Natal Convention Center, with funds from the Ministry of Tourism, and participated in the launch of the bidding process for complementary works for the duplication of the BR-101 highway in the state, such as drainage works and the construction of service roads and two overpasses.
Dilma stressed the importance of the Northeast for the country's economic growth and said that the region is a priority. "Brazil will not grow as much as it needs to if the Northeast does not continue to grow faster than other regions, because it needs to overcome its backwardness," she concluded.
Editing: Nadia Franco