State grants Technical Assistance and Rural Extension grants to the Landless Rural Workers Movement

The Government of Alagoas granted on Tuesday (23) Technical Assistance and Rural Extension grants to the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). R$378,000 will be invested in resources from the Institute of Land and Agrarian Reform of Alagoas (Iteral), over two years, to enable production in the field of agrarian reform. The grant was supported by the Alagoas State Research Support Foundation (Fapeal). Still during the ceremony, the Bumba Meu Boi Festival was made official as an annual event on the state calendar.

In a video, Governor Paulo Dantas recorded a message for those present at the event. He highlighted that the technical assistance and rural extension grants will bring more solutions to the family farming sector. Regarding the sanction, the governor highlighted the cultural and historical relevance that Bumba Meu Boi represents for the state.

Representing governor Paulo Dantas at the event, vice-governor Ronaldo Lessa said that technical assistance and rural extension are extremely important issues and that they have the support of the State Government. “These scholarships will be offered so that new professionals can carry out agrarian reform and can advance, increase and streamline our small-scale agriculture, which is very important for the development of the state”, said Lessa.

For the vice-governor, the culture of Bumba Meu Boi is rooted in the origins and folklore of Alagoas and therefore deserves full recognition. “I congratulate everyone who forms the state’s culture for valuing all the popular manifestations of our Alagoas”, added Lessa.

Grants will guarantee production policies
Eleniza da Silva, one of those awarded the technical assistance grant, highlighted that the grants will guarantee that MST cooperatives and families can have policies that are so important for organizing production in settlements and agrarian reform camps, aimed at food production healthy.

“Agricultural cooperatives represent family farming and are responsible for producing healthy food, which reaches the population’s table, promoting the generation of jobs and income, as well as the development of our state. This term of reference for the rural extension service will make improvements to cooperatives in terms of management and productive organization for the year”, highlighted Eleniza.

Representative of the Landless Movement (MST), Margarida Maria pointed out that the grants granted by the State Government will contribute to the economic and social development of Alagoas.

“Agrarian reform and the MST and family farming cooperatives are committed to the state of Alagoas, thus contributing to the fight against hunger, but mainly to the production of healthy food, producing healthy food for the tables of the people of Alagoas. I want to say that today is an important day for agrarian reform with the signing of this agreement. Saying that for those of us who produce healthy food, the public policy of technical assistance and rural extension is extremely important for the development of the settlers’ agriculture”, said Margarida.

With the concession, nine researchers will be hired in the areas of administration, social assistance, law, agronomy and environmental management, with research and technological assistance grants worth up to R$3,500, for a period of one year, extendable for another year. Thus, it will be possible to assemble a multidisciplinary technical team, to work in areas of agricultural production of agrarian reform, from the Agricultural Production Cooperatives and Entities that provide support to farming families.

The multidisciplinary technical team will be responsible for developing, with technological assistance, agricultural productive activities aimed at offering healthy food and producing raw materials for processing, in addition to stimulating agro-industrialization and other forms of adding income to primary production, as well as the development of non-agricultural rural activities and develop marketing strategies in both conventional and institutional local markets through the PAA, PNAE and Miscellaneous Public Procurement. Fapeal is responsible for operationalizing the scholarships.

Participating in the ceremony were secretaries Vitor Pereira (Segov), Felipe Cordeiro (Civil Office), Silvio Bulhões (Secti), Aline Rodrigues (Seagri), deputies Ronaldo Medeiros and Dudu Ronalsa, as well as councilors for Maceió Teca Nelma and Dr. Valmir . Managers Jaime Silva (Iteral) and Moisés Leandro (Emater) were also present.