Brasília, 6/24/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is reported to have expressed a wish to meet with rural worker leaders and members of the Landless Rural Worker Movement (MST) to discuss government policy regarding land reform and land reform settlements. One of the objectives of such meetings would be to avoid the occurrence of a new wave of property invasions around the country. According to the Palacio do Planalto, a Lula-MST meeting is scheduled for the second week of July.

The Lula administration has repeatedly stated that one of its priorities is to find a solution for the Brazilian land problem. Lula himself has said, in numerous speeches, that one of his government's goals is to settle all the landless rural workers camped out around the country by the end of his term of office.

Last month, at the Cry For Land (Grito da Terra) forum, Lula promised representatives of the Agriculture Worker's Confederation (Contag), that he had allocated R$5.4 billion for the Family Farm Program (Pronaf) to be used in this year's harvest (2003/2004). It is estimated that those funds, a 40% increase, will assist a total of 1.4 million rural farming families.

The president also wants to avoid having the property invasions which took place last weekend spread to the rest of the country (over the weekend 18 farms in the state of Pernambuco were invaded by landless rural workers demanding inspections of the farms to determine whether or not they are being used for productive purposes).

Presidential Press Secretary, Ricardo Kotscho, reports that presidential Chief of Staff, Jose Dirceu, and presidential Chief Aide, Luiz Dulci, have been in constant contact with rural worker groups and the MST for discussions of their grievances. (AB)