Flávia Albuquerque
Reporter - Agência Brasil

São Paulo – Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues, reports that president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has ordered priority treatment for the agricultural sector which is going through difficulties and is rife with farmer complaints.

Yesterday Rodrigues met with the president and ministers in the economic area. "Lula says the farm sector is a priority and he wants immediate solutions," said Rodrigues.A work force that is dealing with the crisis in the sector full-time has been set up. "We hope to have concrete solutions by the end of May and a plan for the harvest that is realistic."

Rodrigues said there are two ways to deal with the crisis: an emergency plan that will take of debts, prices and commercialization; or a structural approach that would tackle the problems of taxes and production costs.

Translation: Allen Bennett