The losses suffered by Brazilian farmers and ranchers in the last two harvests amount to US$ 13.2 billion. This figure comes from Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues.
According to Rodrigues, the government is concerned about the agricultural crisis, since the damage ends up causing repercussions in other sectors of the economy.
In an interview Tuesday, May 30, the minister pointed out that agriculture has been "the major anchor in fighting inflation in the country" for the past 12 years. He commented that the government must adopt measures to minimize the extent of the damage and allow producers to remain in activity.
The minister emphasized that agribusiness earns US$ 239 billion per year, which corresponds to around 27% of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to Rodrigues, agribusiness also accounts for 37% of the jobs in the country and nearly 40% of Brazil’s exports.
In his view, it is essential for the government to negotiate with organizations that represent the agricultural sector in order to devise structural measures that can make Brazilian producers more and more competitive.
Agência Brasil