Rural producers will be able to count on a fund for adverse climate and health events

Federal deputy Jerônimo Goergen (PP-RS) filed last Friday (25/3) Bill 711/2022, which provides for the creation of the National Fund for Agricultural Prevention, Protection and Defense Against Disasters (FUNDEAGRO). The initiative aims to finance actions to support rural producers affected by adverse climate or health events. The parliamentarian understands that preventing a catastrophe is much cheaper for public coffers than acting in an emergency.

Jerônimo emphasizes that it is not possible to depend exclusively on the Union's budget forecast and that support needs to be immediate when the problem arises. “The problems recur every year. It either rains a lot or not at all in certain regions. And the losses only increase. Then we need to reallocate budget resources, open additional credit, measures that take time to have the desired effects”, argues the author of the proposal.

According to Jerônimo, FUNDEAGRO proposes to complement the mechanisms foreseen for agricultural policy, as a new fiscal instrument to protect rural producers. “We need to reduce the risk to which rural producers are exposed, whether for climate reasons or for health reasons, such as diseases that affect crops and livestock.” The parliamentarian understands that the fund will allow not only to create preventive actions for these adverse events, but also to grant subsidies to rural producers who suffer losses because of these calamities, in order to promote one of the most important economic sectors for our country.

According to the text of the proposal, FUNDEAGRO would be composed of budget allocations from the Union, tax revenues, donations from organizations, entities, individuals and legal entities, in addition to resources from agreements, contracts or agreements signed at national or international level. 

The project process can be followed here.