Corn to combat drought arrives in Pernambuco.

Leonardo Lucena_PE247 – With the goal of helping cattle ranchers cope with the effects of the drought, 25 tons of corn were unloaded at the Port of Recife, with 14 tons destined for forage for the Pernambuco herd. Representing an investment of R$ 7,8 million, the shipment arrived in Recife a month later than originally planned. Of the total investment, 50% will cover logistical costs, and the remainder will be used for forage. In response to rumors that the corn would arrive free of charge to producers, the State Secretary of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Aldo Santos, emphasizes that this information is incorrect and that the State is responsible for covering logistical costs, thus relieving farmers of part of this burden.

“We couldn’t have Conab selling corn and the state donating corn in the same state. That wouldn’t be coherent. We (the State Government and Conab) are part of the same program. We have to maintain the same format of the ‘Venda Balcão’ program. Conab handles the sale of corn in the Agreste region of the state, except in Garanhuns, and the state is responsible for sales in the Sertão region,” he declared. “The farmer doesn’t pay anything. Only for the 60-kilogram (kg) sack that he buys,” he added.

In any case, farmers in Greater Recife will have to wait for sunshine, as corn distribution will not take place until the rainfall in the Metropolitan Region decreases. According to the regional superintendent of Conab, Roberto Lins, the humid weather can damage the corn, and to avoid grain loss, a longer storage time on the ship is necessary.

Corn distribution has become one of the government's top priorities, as it is the main source of energy for livestock. However, several factors have delayed the delivery of the feed. When it arrives in the state, the corn is divided into 60-kilogram (kg) sacks. The government sells each sack for R$ 18,12 to producers who purchase up to three tons and for R$ 21 to those who purchase between three and six tons.

From Recife, the corn will be distributed to Conab's facilities in Arcoverde, in the Sertão region, and to 10 other units belonging to the Government of Pernambuco, four of which are operated by the Federal Government – ​​Caruaru, Bom Conselho, Itaíba, in the Agreste region, and Betânia, in the Sertão region. Currently, there are four thousand tons of corn stored in the State.

In April, Conab held its first auction for the transportation of corn, but no companies were interested in carrying out the operation due to the short timeframe (15 days) for the delivery of the food. On the 26th of the same month, a new auction was held for the transportation of 103 tons, but only 20 tons were acquired and, as a consequence, Pernambuco was left out of the list of states selected to receive the grain.

The 25 tons unloaded this Tuesday (2) should have been delivered on the 6th of last month. Conab claimed that logistical problems and heavy rains over the Port of Paranaguá (PR) delayed the delivery. According to Conab, Pernambuco received 42,26 tons of corn out of the 46,35 tons contracted by the state-owned company. Conab also acquired another 8,2 tons of bagged food for distribution in the state's hubs. Of this total, 7,57 have already been delivered.