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Producers expand production by 50% with incentive

Farmers in the city of Araraquara (SP) come to increase their plantings by 50% with the Food Purchase Program (EAP), from the Ministry of Social Development and Hunger Combat (MDS). The benefit passes grants for municipalities to purchase greens and vegetables from local farmers.

Araraquara is considered a reference in the program, deployed in 145 cities. “It’s a good execution due to the involvement of producers and technical supervision they receive from the City itself,” he said on Thursday (31) the general coordinator of the PAA, the Ministry of Social Development, Helenita Correia da Silva, during a visit to one of farms benefit from the program. The coordinator remains in the city on Friday (1) to discuss further details with managers of the PAA.

Of the 700 farmers in Araraquara, 300 participate in the EAP, which helps in the distribution of greens and vegetables to 60 entities in the city. According to Coordination of Agriculture, 28 tons of product are intended to those institutions weekly.

For farmer Roberto Matheus, production at its site rose 50% because there are more safeguards for farming. “We risk and invest more, because we have security of supply,” he says.

At his estate, 20% of what is produced, among pumpkins, eggplants, cabbages and peppers, are acquired by the program. He believes that the share could be higher. “The quota that can be purchased from each farmer is still small,” he says.

The coordinator of agriculture in Araraquara, Cristiano Rumaqueli, explains that the quota that can be purchased from local producers is fully supplied, but recognizes that the city could buy more.

“We’re trying to increase that quota” says the coordinator. Currently, the city gets R$1.7 million per year to producers enrolled in the EAP, with funds from the National Supply Company (Conab).

Earlier this month the company announced that it will have more than R$205 million to buy food, till July this year across the country.

 

Fonte: G1