Emergency aid for family farmers heads to presidential sanction

The emergency aid of R$600 created by the federal government to support Brazilian families amid the new coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic will benefit family farmers across the country. The plenary of the Federal Senate approved, this Wednesday (22), the Chamber of Deputies' replacement for Bill 873/2020, which provides for the granting of the benefit.

The matter had been changed in the Chamber of Deputies, where they accepted the amendment that changes access to the benefit for family farmers proposed by the president of the Parliamentary Agricultural Front (FPA), Alceu Moreira (MDB-RS) and, by deputy Zé Silva ( Solidarity-MG). Then, the proposal needed to return to the Senate, so that the changes could be evaluated and approved by the first House. Now the matter goes to presidential sanction.

According to deputy Alceu Moreira, once sanctioned, the proposal will allow access to the benefit to family farmers, in addition to originally establishing the Basic Emergency Citizenship Income and expanding benefits to those enrolled in the Bolsa Família Program and those registered in CadÚnico, in cases of epidemics and pandemics.

Deputy Zé Silva highlighted that the change was essential so that emergency aid can be accessed by family farmers, impacted by the decrease in the movement of people at fairs and markets. “There are more than 5 million family farmers in Brazil and of these, more than half do not have a marketing channel. We need to give this quick response since the farmer produces and brings food to all of our tables,” he highlighted.

Around 70 million people will benefit. With the new text, teenage mothers and informal workers who, in 600, had an income of more than R$2018 thousand, excluded from the original proposal, will also be able to receive three installments of R$28,6. Single fathers are now entitled to double the amount, R$1,2, the same rule adopted for mothers who are heads of the family and mothers over 18 years of age.