The Brazilian Federal Government published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union, this Tuesday (14), the Interministerial Ordinance MDA/ MAPA/ MF No. 03 with the definitions of the parameters for the purchase of imported milled rice, which will be operated by the Company National Supply Agency (Conab), to face the social and economic consequences derived from extreme climate events in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

In this first phase, around 104 thousand tons of rice will be acquired and destined for sale to small retailers and public food and nutritional security establishments in the metropolitan regions of the states of São Paulo, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Pará, Ceará.

For this, R$ 416 million were allocated for the acquisition of rice and R$ 100 million for expenses related to the equalization of prices for the sale of the product, provided for in Provisional Measure No. 1,218/2024.

The purchase will be made through public auctions through the interconnection of commodity exchanges, according to a statement to be published by Conab.

“The federal government has no intention under any circumstances to compete with rice producers who are experiencing difficulties. Our objective is to avoid financial speculation and stabilize the price of the product in markets throughout the country,” explains the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro. “It is rice ready to consume, already peeled, so as not to affect the relationship between producers, cereal producers and wholesalers,” he points out.

The Federal Government's goal is to reach one million tons of rice, processed or unhulled, to replenish public stocks.

MEASURES FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

According to data from the state Civil Defense, more than 90% of the cities of Rio Grande do Sul were affected by the rains that have hit the state since the end of last month.

This is the biggest climate tragedy in RS and the damage caused also affects the state's agriculture.

Among the measures already adopted by the Federal Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) to help the sector are:

immediate suspension of the maturity of installments of rural credit operations for a period greater than 100 days;

reduce bureaucracy in credit lines for contracting and renegotiating loans with public financial institutions;

R$ 1 billion to grant interest discounts for loans granted within the framework of the National Program to Strengthen Family Agriculture (Pronaf) and the National Program to Support Medium Rural Producers (Pronamp), up to the global credit limit of R$ 4 billion of eligible interest discount;

publication of parliamentary amendments assigned to the Map, which will be used to purchase machinery, supplies and carry out engineering works to recover local roads to promote agribusiness;

temporary authorization to implement exceptional measures that simplify the standards to be met by establishments producing milk and dairy products registered with the Federal Inspection Service (SIF) in the region;

authorization, on an exceptional basis, for establishments of the Sisbi-POA (Brazilian System of Inspection of Products of Animal Origin) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul to process raw materials from other establishments with inspection for the manufacture of products;

creation of the Thematic Chamber of Agricultural Risk Management of the National Council of Agricultural Policy (CNPA) to provide policies to face the various challenges that permeate agricultural activity; Is

facilitation and prioritization of loads from international donations for Rio Grande do Sul at all Agricultural Surveillance points in Brazil.