Secretary of the Environment of Minas Gerais discusses sustainable expansion of citrus farming in the state

The Secretary of the Environment of the State of Minas Gerais, Marília Carvalho de Melo, met with representatives of the orange juice production chain. The meeting, which continued the discussions that began in January with Governor Romeu Zema, had the main objective of discussing the expansion of citrus farming in Minas Gerais in a sustainable manner and within the deadlines established by local legislation.

During the meeting, Marília Carvalho highlighted the importance of strictly complying with deadlines for project implementation. According to the secretary, the Zema government is committed to ensuring that all processes occur on time, which will benefit both the private sector and the state.

"We made a point of bringing representatives from bodies responsible for the areas of environmental licensing and granting of water use permits, because these are crucial topics for new projects in the orange juice chain", stated the secretary.

The meeting was also attended by federal deputy Zé Silva, defender of crop diversification in the State. For Silva, citrus farming can play an important role in the sustainable development of Minas Gerais. He highlighted that the State is moving towards the creation of a green seal, which will attest to the environmental compliance of agricultural activities, aligning Brazilian legislation with international requirements, such as those of the European Union. "Citrus farming is a great candidate for this seal", stated the deputy.

Ibiapaba Netto, executive director of CitrusBR, evaluated the meeting positively and highlighted the growth potential of citrus farming in Minas Gerais. "Citrus farming has enormous growth potential in Minas Gerais, and our idea is to establish a collaborative relationship with the government so that expansion projects can take place within the deadlines, in accordance with local legislation", said Netto. He also mentioned that CitrusBR returns from the meeting with several tasks to be carried out, such as the development of studies that will support the sustainable growth of the sector in the State.

Currently, Minas Gerais already stands out in orange production, even surpassing Florida, in the United States, and the tendency is for this relevance to increase even further in the coming years. With ongoing discussions and government support, the expectation is that citrus farming will consolidate itself as one of the main crops in the State, contributing to the economic and sustainable development of Minas Gerais.