Map has two lines in the New PAC

Launched today, the new Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) directly addresses Brazilian agriculture for the first time. In addition to the resumption of investments in the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) will also count on investments for the recovery and expansion of local roads which, in addition to improving the flow of the harvest, will benefit transport in rural areas.

“Once again, in practice, President Lula demonstrates that, for him, the election is over and recognizes the importance of Brazilian agriculture. After having created the biggest Harvest Plan in history, providing conditions for market openings, now it launches the PAC, resuming investments in innovation and research, through Embrapa and, for the first time, includes Mapa with direct investments in the sector”, highlighted the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro.

In the area of ​​Innovation and Research, within the Education, Science and Technology axis, agricultural research centers, equipment for agricultural research for all Brazilian states and infrastructure for state agricultural research organizations are planned.

The new feature is Mapa's direct participation in the PAC with a program for the recovery and expansion of local roads that could serve more than 11 thousand km in the five regions of Brazil. The areas to be benefited take into account the Transport Vulnerability Index (IVT) and the high agricultural production of the micro-regions.

Investments in Embrapa

National agricultural research will receive almost R$1 billion in investments by 2026 through the New PAC. Embrapa will have almost R$850 million in strategic investments to increase the scientific competitiveness of Brazilian agriculture, and another R$145 million will go to the National Agricultural Research System (SNPA).

According to the executive director of People, Services and Finance, Selma Beltrão, this is the largest volume of investments that Embrapa has ever received. It clarifies that the amount does not include mandatory costs and expenses. Known as investment, capital resources are invested in assets, such as works, constructions, installations and acquisition of equipment and permanent materials, which are incorporated into the institution's assets.

All 43 Decentralized Units (DUs) will be covered. The distribution of resources between them sought to reconcile the Company's most urgent demands and the Federal Government's priorities, such as the focus on the North and Northeast regions and the completion of works initiated or resulting from the PAC 2008-2010.

The director recalls that Embrapa suffered in the last decade from a lack of investment in its research structure. "The New PAC brings the possibility for the Company to modernize itself for the next 50 years and respond more quickly to the challenges of ensuring food security, socio-productive and digital inclusion in the field, development of omics technologies and generation of sustainability metrics and indicators for the various production chains", says Selma.

For president Silvia Massruhá, the New PAC is a great opportunity to revitalize and strengthen the Company's operational capacity. "This huge investment shows that the Government values ​​and recognizes the importance of the science developed by the agricultural research system, formed by Embrapa and state organizations, for food sovereignty and the sustainability of agriculture", says the manager.

The executive director of Research and Innovation, Clenio Pillon, states that the plan is the realization of a dream and a source of pride for Embrapians. “We know that it will not meet all of our demands, but it will certainly allow us to increase our scientific competitiveness and continue our research with quality and in line with the most current developments”, he says.

Embrapa's proposal was divided into four segments:

1 - infrastructure for territorial and inclusive agricultural research: this segment includes the completion of the installation of Embrapa Cocais and Embrapa Alimentos e Território, centers that are located in the Northeast, a priority region for the Government;

2 - investments for the completion of interrupted structures, including those created by the PAC 2008: Innovation Center in Enology for Wine Studies (Embrapa Uva e Vinho); Soil Laboratory (PronaSolos) and Map Room (Embrapa Solos); and Plant Quarantine (Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology);

3 - special demands: Center for Advanced Coffee Studies; Laboratory for prospecting and using microbial genetic resources in the Amazon; Expansion of animal health laboratories (avian influenza and African swine fever); Strengthening the SNPA;

4 - investments for scientific and technological competitiveness: intended for the implementation, expansion, modernization and restructuring of laboratories, scientific instrumentation, machines and implements, experimental fields and automation.

To justify the proposal, in addition to a presentation on the importance of the company for the country, the members of the working group argued that the last robust investment was the contribution from the 2008 PAC Embrapa, whose resources were exhausted in 2012.