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Mapa pays attention to the situation of producers affected by cyclone in the south of the country

Mapa representatives were in the region to survey losses in agricultural production

08.07.2020 | 20:59 (UTC -3)

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The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Tereza Cristina, met on Tuesday, July 7th, via video conference, with parliamentarians and mayors of Santa Catarina to discuss possible solutions for rural producers affected by the cyclone in recent days. Mapa representatives were in the region to survey the losses suffered in agricultural production, especially in banana cultivation.

“We are attentive and available to have this exchange of information, to provide agility for whatever you need," said the minister. She said that she has already spoken with representatives from Banco do Brasil and cooperatives so that producers can be served as quickly as possible, including the extension of credits, both for funding and investments.

Parliamentarians asked for a survey of parliamentary amendments that could help producers at this time, to speed up the release of resources.

Mapa's Secretary of Family Agriculture, Fernando Schwanke, is in Santa Catarina mapping losses in the municipalities. The director of Mapa's Risk Management Department, Pedro Loyola, was also in the region. According to him, Mapa is carrying out a survey of financing that could be affected by the cyclone. “We are going to carry out studies on emergency lines for small producers, knowing that many of them do not access rural credit,” said Loyola.

The minister assured that she will make Embrapa available to local producers to provide technical assistance for the next plantings, in conjunction with the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of SC (Epagri) and local associations. “We need to urgently restore these banana plantations,” she said. Crops such as onions, horticulture, horticulture, fish farming and milk were also affected.

According to the government of Santa Catarina, to date 179 municipalities have recorded damage and losses, which exceed R$427 million. Agriculture was the most affected area with losses valued at more than R$223 million.