Mato Grosso currently has 250 technicians to serve family farming and needs another 400 to be able to obtain a share from small producers. A possible return of the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA), scheduled for September, could “assist” the States, which currently finance 90% of public technical assistance.
The MDA was cut during the ministerial reform in May when Michel Temer assumed the Presidency on an interim basis and about two weeks ago its recreation was announced for September. However, according to information from the newspaper O Globo, the department, which is currently subordinate to the Civil House, could be merged with the Ministry of Social Development.
The return of the Ministry of Agrarian Development, according to the president of the Union of Technical Assistance, Rural Extension and Public Research Workers of Mato Grosso (Sinterp-MT), Gilmar Brunetto, would mean the recognition of family farming by the Federal Government.
Today, there are 5 million family farmers in Brazil, of which around 100 thousand are located in Mato Grosso.
“Technical assistance is funded 90% by state governments. Rural extension generates jobs and the Federal Government needs to see this. In Mato Grosso, we urgently need 400 professionals to serve family farming. Today, there are only 250”, commented Brunetto to Agro Olhar.
According to the president of Sinterp-MT, even if these 400 necessary professionals are hired, the service will still be provided by a portion of the producers. “We are concluding strategic planning so that assistance reaches producers and serves them collectively, through demonstration units, through a partnership between professionals and producers. The technology needs to reach the producer.”
Help in Brasilia
On August 16th, representatives of the National Federation of Technical Assistance, Rural Extension and Agricultural Sector Workers (Faser) met with the senator of Mato Grosso José Medeiros. The meeting, held in Brasília (DF), according to Brunetto, who is coordinator of institutional relations at Façar, aimed to take the debate on family farming and rural extension to the Senate. He comments that Senator José Medeiros highlighted that he will take the matter to the Senate through a public hearing.
If the MDA is recreated, federal deputy José Silva, from Minas Gerais, is one of those considered to take over the role. “José Silva knows the subject. He is the best person. He is a former president of the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Minas Gerais (Emater) and when he was elected deputy he took the issue to the Federal Chamber. And now we are going to take family farming to the Senate with Senator José Medeiros”, highlighted Gilmar Brunetto.
