Mapa publishes Operations Manual and announces new phase of the National Land Credit Program

It was published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), through the Secretariat of Family Agriculture and Cooperatives (SAF), the Ordinance No. 123, which approves the Operations Manual of the National Land Credit Program (PNCF). The measure constitutes the final stage of the process of reformulating public policy to reduce bureaucracy and expand family farmers' access to land credit. The new format was called “Terra Brasil – PNCF”.

The document establishes guidelines and operational procedures to guide and serve as a reference for State Technical Units (UTEs), State Management Units, Financial Agents, public and private entities of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Ater), municipal governments and other partners in implementation and execution of Terra Brasil - PNCF. 

Also as part of the program's reformulation process, Mapa published the Ordinance No. 122, which approves the new Operating Regulations for the Land and Agrarian Reform Fund and the Subprogram for Combating Rural Poverty, after necessary changes to the regulations. 

“The publications mark the beginning of a new phase of the land credit program. After the reformulation process, which we started in 2019, the program will have its scope expanded to effectively serve those who need to access the purchase of land, granting financing more quickly”, highlights the Secretary of Family Agriculture and Cooperatives, Fernando Schwanke. 

Among the main innovations implemented through the two ordinances is the expansion of the age range of beneficiaries. Given the recurring demand from candidates and increase in Brazilian life expectancy, announced by IBGE, the maximum age for accessing the program was increased from 65 to 70 years old. 

The reformulation carried out by Mapa also guarantees greater autonomy for family producers, who will now be able to prove their work in rural activity through a self-declaration of eligibility, accompanied by documentation proving experience, income and assets. 

From now on, farmers interested in financing a rural property through Terra Brasil - PNCF will also be able to contact the city hall, in addition to public or private companies in Ater, to begin the credit application procedures. This is because, with the new Operating Regulations, municipal governments are now able to provide Ater services, within the scope of the program, through the formalization of a cooperation agreement with the Secretariat of Family Agriculture and Cooperativism of Mapa. 

“We are expanding the participation of municipal governments, enabling them to prepare technical projects free of charge, reducing the amount of financing. It is an important initiative, as we understand that city halls know the local reality and are in direct contact with family farmers who need financing”, highlights Schwanke. 

To access the program, it will no longer be necessary to present a “Financing Proposal”. The new regulation requires a “Technical Financing Project”, prepared by an Ater institution or municipal government in conjunction with the farmer, containing the capacity to pay the financing, demonstrating the technical, economic, environmental and social viability of the rural activities to be explored and proving the need for basic and productive investments. 

The change aims to reduce the proposal analysis stages and carry out agricultural and climate risk management, improving the planning of producer activities and the productive viability of the rural property. 

After readjusting the wording of the regulation, the Ministry of Agriculture now allows the preparation of the “Technical Financing Project” by professionals registered with the Federal Council of Agricultural Technicians (CFTA) through the Technical Responsibility Term (TRT). 

The measures also expanded the access of Ater companies to the program, which can now be registered with the National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Anater), in the Ater Computerized System (Siarter) or in banks that operate land credit. 

The evaluation of the property subject to financing, previously carried out by the UTEs, is now carried out by the institutions responsible for preparing the Technical Project. The UTEs will carry out the inspection to validate the property only when necessary. 

To reduce the processing flow of financing proposals and make the process more effective, within the scope of Terra Brasil - PNCF, the various stages of social control were transformed into the "Single Stage of Social Control in the Municipality", through the Municipal Council of Sustainable Rural Development (CMDRs). 

The change allows for the simplification of the flow, which had a total of 14 steps and now has fewer than six steps. Optimizing the process should result in a significant reduction in the average contracting period for operations, from the current two years to approximately six months. 

chip

The new Terra Brasil -PNCF Operating Regulations increase the amount allocated to Ater, which was previously R$7.500 and now amounts to up to R$10. Of these, up to R$2.500 can be used to pay the costs of supporting the preparation of the Technical Financing Project. 

Another novelty is related to the value for basic and productive investments, which, within the scope of the Land Fund, was restricted to R$27.500. In the new regulation, this ceiling was increased, which can now reach, per beneficiary, 50% of the total financing amount. The measure aims to allow greater flexibility in planning the activities and investments necessary to make the rural property to be acquired with credit viable. 

chip

The Terra Brasil Operations Manual - PNCF officially implements the digital service Register Entities and Technicians (CET). Platform intended for the registration and certification of public and private institutions, including municipal governments, that are interested in joining the program's Assistance Network, to provide Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Ater) services, including the preparation of Technical Financing Projects . 

Another digital service presented in the document published by Mapa is the Get Terra Brasil Credit. Aimed at the program's partner institutions, the platform allows the sending of the Technical Financing Project and all documentation of the candidate beneficiary, the seller and the rural property, in a completely digital way, eliminating the need to deliver physical documentation to the federal government. 

In addition to digitizing processes, the new ordinances also present additional information on the legal regime of the financed property, greater detail on the powers of Ater's public and private institutions and the provision of sanctions for non-compliance with regulations, false information and damage to the Land Fund and Agrarian Reform.

The Terra Brasil-PNCF reformulation process also included the possibility of filing an appeal, with the Appeals Committee (CORE), by candidates who had their eligibility denied; the improvement of the provision on cases of death of the beneficiary during the course of financing; details of topics relating to monitoring, supervision and inspection of projects; and the regulation of property inspections and cases of dissolution of a marital partnership or stable union. 

chip

Terra Brasil - National Land Credit Program is a federal public policy that offers conditions so that family farmers without access to land or with little land can purchase rural property through financing. In addition to the land, the financed resources can be used to structure the property and production project, contract Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER) and whatever else is necessary for the farmer to develop his activities independently and autonomously.