Arroz da Gente Program receives investment of R$ 17 million

The National Supply Company (Conab) has launched the Arroz da Gente Program, with an initial investment of R$17 million aimed at technical advice and the acquisition of small-scale harvesters. The initiative seeks to strengthen rice production by family farmers and traditional communities, with actions aimed at structuring production, access to credit, support for marketing and the recovery of native varieties.

During a ceremony held in Brasília (DF), partnerships were signed with institutions such as Embrapa, Banco do Brasil, BNDES and the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), which will work on research, technical training and monitoring of activities in the territories.

In this initial phase, the program will have monitoring agents in ten territories in Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Goiás and Minas Gerais. The professionals will receive specific training and equipment to record and monitor activities in the field. The next stages will involve other regions of the country, with a focus on the Northeast and the Legal Amazon.

Conab president Edegar Pretto highlighted that the program was already structured and had the potential to have a direct impact on food supply. The Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming, Paulo Teixeira, recalled that the program is a response to times of high rice prices and is part of a series of structural measures adopted by the government.

Established at the end of 2024 and launched in the Family Farming Harvest Plan, Arroz da Gente promotes genetic diversity and food security, with a focus on valuing traditional practices and strengthening family farming.