Producers in Rio Grande do Sul who suffered losses due to climate events can renegotiate rural credit operations

In view of the large volume of losses in agricultural activities that the rains and floods of recent weeks have caused, which are still being quantified by Emater/RS technicians throughout Rio Grande do Sul, the Institution draws the attention of producers who have financing for some measures that can be adopted in order to alleviate the weight of financial obligations at this time of public calamity that the State is going through.

The coordinator of the Rural Credit Area and special advisor to the Technical Directorate of Emater/RS, agronomist Célio Colle, highlights that on March 28, 2024, through resolution 5.123, the National Monetary Council (CMN) authorized the renegotiation of installments of rural investment credit operations contracted by family and medium-sized farmers and other rural producers whose income from the activity has been affected by adverse weather conditions or marketing difficulties.

“The objective of the measure is to allow the renegotiation of debts of those farmers who had investments linked to the cultivation of soybeans, corn and milk with installments due or due between February 2nd and December 30th of this year and suffered losses resulting from climate issues or were affected by the price drop. These producers can contact their bank or cooperative and ask for an extension of these debts”, he explains.

Another more recent CMN resolution, dated May 10, 2024, allows the renegotiation of rural credit operations in municipalities in RS affected by floods, floods, intense rains, floods, windstorms, landslides or floods. According to the text of the measure, the due date for installments and interest due from May 14st to August 30th of this year, for rural establishments located in municipalities with a declaration of emergency or public calamity between April 20th and May 15th, recognized by the federal government, may be extended to August XNUMXth.

“The recommendation follows the same as the previous resolution, look for your financial agent, as it is possible to gain extra time in this moment of turbulence to reorganize finances while many need to restructure the property and reestablish production”, he highlights.

Rural credit as an activity of Aters

Rural credit is one of the activities of Technical Assistance and Rural and Social Extension (Aters) for the development of families in Rio Grande do Sul. On average, 34 thousand families are served annually by Emater/RS for the development of projects to finance, investments and commercialization that are forwarded to financial agents.

“We call Emater’s practice assisted credit, because Aters’ objective is to monitor all phases of a crop, from a family’s decision-making process to use credit, to monitoring implementation, to collecting soil for analysis , in interpretation, providing indication of fertilization, all guidance on the issue of agricultural zoning of climate risk, which indicates the variety to be cultivated within the type of soil and region, the planting time, which are important tools precisely to mitigate the climate risk”, he highlights.