Brazil’s Minister of Agrarian Development, Miguel Rossetto, said that there is no justification for the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) threat to step up land invasions in November.
“There is no justification. We have already shown the national leaders the very strong results we have obtained this year. We have already guaranteed the settlement of 92,700 families, and, with two months to go, there is an expectation of further growth in the number of families settled,” Rossetto informed.
According to the Minister, the government has no doubts about the country’s agrarian reform process.
“We are very sure of the effort, which is qualified and vigorous and meets the needs of this priority program of our government. Just as we are working on all instruments of agricultural policy that serve to ensure income and support for family farming.”
Rossetto also mentioned that he is awaiting Congressional approval of the supplementary credits that will finance the rest of the PNRA (Plano Nacional de Reforma Agrária – National Agrarian Reform Plan.
“All of our financial program has already been executed, but we have a positive expectation that our resources will be supplemented.”
According to the Minister, the goals set forth in the PNRA for settling 115 thousand families by the end of this year remain unchanged.
“All the government’s goals for the PNRA are operational and achievable. This is the fruit of a lot of work by the entire government, especially the Incra (National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform; therefore, all the goals for 2005/2006 remain in place.
“Not just the goals that assure the settlement of families, but the implantation of a new model of agrarian reform,” he affirmed.
Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein