Governor sanctions law that guarantees R$100 million to combat drought in SC

Rural producers in Santa Catarina will have an additional R$100 million in investments to minimize the impacts of the drought across the state. Governor Carlos Moisés sanctioned the law that guarantees resources for the Secretariat of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development to reinforce support for the construction of cisterns and conservation of sources and springs. The measure should come into force this Wednesday, 9th, with publication in the Official State Gazette (DOE).

“If we add these values ​​together with the entire investment forecast to minimize the impacts of the drought in rural areas of Santa Catarina, we will reach almost half a billion reais. These are resources that should change the lives of those who live in the countryside”, said Governor Carlos Moisés.

The Bill, approved by the Legislative Assembly last week, ensures a greater contribution of resources to programs already carried out by the Department of Agriculture and which will now gain new ways of encouraging investments in water capture, storage and use, in addition to the preservation of fountains and springs. According to the Secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Altair Silva, the intention is to create a robust and permanent public policy to prevent and reduce the impacts of drought in Santa Catarina.

"We want every rural producer in Santa Catarina to have a way to reserve water on their property. And the same investments could be repeated in the next two years, totaling R$ 300 million, in other words, it is the largest program in Santa Catarina's history to reserve water. And this water, once reserved, is the guarantee of production, income, development and job creation in Santa Catarina", highlights Altair Silva.

The R$100 million must be divided as follows: R$70 million for the construction of cisterns and water reservoirs and R$30 million for the conservation of fountains and springs. These resources will be added to existing actions at the Department of Agriculture and farmers in Santa Catarina will have access to R$343,5 million to minimize the effects of the water crisis.

It is important to highlight that the investments will be made with Santa Catarina's own resources, thanks to the financial surplus from the previous year. "We are experiencing climate change in practice and we need to provide our agricultural system with the structure to face drought. This is a recurring problem in Santa Catarina, it is time for the executive branch to tackle the issue of drought", says the state deputy and leader of the Government at Alesc, José Milton Scheffer.

The Legislative Assembly also approved the inclusion of R$300 million in the Physical-Financial Programming of the Multi-Year Plan (PPA) for the four-year period 2020-2023, that is, the State Government is authorized to contribute these resources to minimize the impacts of the drought in Santa Catarina in the next two years.

More investments

The State Department of Agriculture maintains open credit lines to minimize the impacts of drought in rural areas. According to secretary Altair Silva, the objective is to better prepare producers to face dry periods. Therefore, the department's programs are focused on recovering springs and reserving water on properties.

With Water for All, producers have access to interest-free financing for the construction of water capture, storage, treatment and distribution systems, for the purpose of human and animal drinking and irrigation. Investments can be individual, with a limit of R$40 per family, or collective, up to R$200, with a five-year payment period. Families in situations of social and income vulnerability will have different conditions.

The Department of Agriculture also has another interest-free line of credit to support actions to isolate and recover riparian forests, protect and recover springs, terracing and soil cover. Cultivating Water and Protecting the Soil provides financing of up to R$15, with a five-year payment period and each installment paid on time will have a 30% discount.

To seek a greater volume of resources, rural producers can turn to Investe Agro SC. In this program, the Department of Agriculture offers a subsidy on interest on financing contracted with banking agents, with a limit of up to R$100, with an eight-year payment period and an interest subsidy of up to 2,5% per year.

Basic guidelines for producers

The Department of Agriculture recommends that rural producers seek support at Epagri municipal offices. Technicians will be able to guide which practices, technologies and public policies can be applied to minimize losses and face periods of little rain.

It is also essential that farmers follow Epagri/Ciram's weather forecasts and plan to increase water reserves in the ground or in cisterns.