The government of Rio Grande do Sul is taking steps to address the effects of drought. The permanent and transversal mitigation plan was presented on Friday by Governor Eduardo Leite.
The Exchange-Trade of Seeds
The government also announced the amnesty of 100% of the debt of the Seed Exchange program for family farmers in the municipalities in emergency situation. The program was created to finance seeds for the production of grains or silage. The governor highlighted that this action will have an impact on the government of up to R $ 22.5 million.
Registration was also opened for the Forage Seeds Program, which finances the acquisition of seeds for the formation of pastures. Irrigation and water reserve actions already announced through the program Forward also have priority this year. An example is the construction of sisternas, for which the State has allocated R$ 17.4 million.
Drought Monitor
The State also created the Drought Monitor, which gathers updated data on the climate situation in the State and also allows comparisons with droughts recorded in previous years. The tool is fed with data from different departments and state agencies, and public access will be available in the coming days.
The governor also spoke about the importance of federal support and the need for a continuous look at the Union for the situation of water restriction in Rio Grande do Sul. He sent a letter to the federal government requesting support to expand assistance actions to producers already held by the state.
The Permanent and Transversal Plan for Mitigation of the Effects of Drought in Rio Grande do Sul seeks to provide support and assistance to producers, as well as structuring actions and a monitoring system to help manage the water crisis. Measures such as the amnesty of 100% of the debt of the Exchange-Exchange of Seeds program, the opening of an additional edict for the Forage Seed Program, the construction of cisterns and the monitoring of drought show the commitment of the State government to face the effects of drought.
