In Alagoas, minister launches Semi-Arid Harvest Plan.

Alagoas247 - The Minister of Agrarian Development, Pepe Vargas, emphasized President Dilma Rousseff's commitment and concern for small, medium, and large farmers, to whom R$ 7 billion will be allocated to boost the production of food crops adapted to the region's reality and promote strategic water and food reserves. Despite the dissatisfaction of a large part of the farmers, the minister stressed that negotiations for agrarian reform are taking place, thanks to the direct intervention of the Court of Justice of Alagoas (TJ/AL), through the presiding judge, José Carlos Malta Marques. 

According to the minister, the Federal government has already issued expropriation decrees for agrarian reform and opened a public tender for the sale of land. “I am here to strengthen the territories of citizenship and the launch of the plan. President Dilma asked me to visit all the states to talk about the plan so that farmers are aware of it. In the last 10 years, 60% of the national territory has been reverted to agrarian reform,” informed Minister Pepe Vargas, highlighting that approximately 20 farmers in the Alagoas hinterland will still receive the “Crop Guarantee” while the drought persists. 

Minutes before the minister took the podium, dozens of rural workers staged a brief protest, displaying banners. One of them read: "Agrarian reform, rest in peace," and the protesters chanted: "Agrarian reform, urgent and necessary!" In turn, Vargas acknowledged the workers' dissatisfaction. "I sympathize with your aspirations and guarantee that dialogue is open so that we can reach the last worker who still survives under a black tarp," he confirmed. The Federal government also delivered backhoe loaders, in view of the second phase of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC 2). 

The chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Senator Benedito de Lira (PP), also addressed those present, stating that never before had so much funding been made available for drought relief, namely R$ 4 billion for family farmers and R$ 3 billion for medium and large farmers. His statement was echoed by the Vice-Governor of Alagoas, José Thomaz Nonô (DEM), who attributed the plan's success to "the attention given by President Dilma." "No government has given so much attention to the state, and I am not blind or naive in stating otherwise. This plan has a different perspective on the people of the Sertão region, with different credit lines and interest rates." 

The state coordination of the Rural Workers' Movement (MTC), led by Adriano dos Santos, was also present at the event. According to the activist, it is necessary to always fight to achieve the objectives. "We are certain that better days will come and we are together to dialogue and demand our rights," he said. 

The ceremony to launch the Harvest Plan was also attended by the president of the Court of Justice, Judge José Carlos Malta Marques, the Governor of the State, Teotonio Vilela Filho (PSDB), State Representative Dudu Holanda (PSD), Secretary of State for Agriculture and Agrarian Development, José Marinho Júnior, Superintendent of the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra), Lenilda Lima, as well as mayors and leaders of social movements.

With gazetaweb.com