Brasília, 7/302003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The government's Zero Hunger program should be operational in Northeastern urban centers by the end of the year, reports minister of Food Security and Hunger Combat, José Graziano.

The minister declared that president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva himself requested a pilot project be drawn up on the program's operation in metropolitan areas of the Northeast. According to Graziano, Lula pointed out that in urban centers, "poverty, lack of decent housing, schools and daycare centers," is often worse than in the backlands where the Zero Hunger program was inaugurated. "In urban centers these problems are aggravated by the collapse of the family, with women abandoned to care for their children alone," the president said.

Graziano says that for this year his ministry has earmarked R$400 million to be used to purchase produce from family farms (which are in the government's Family Farm Program) that will be used in Zero Hunger. Also for this year, an attempt will be made to extend Zero Hunger to over 1,000 municipalities and start up a campaign to boost milk consumption.

Meanwhile, union leader, Luiz Martin, of the CUT, reports that following the example of Autoworkers in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, other unions around the country will be encouraged to contribute money to Zero Hunger. Martin reports that the autoworker money collected will be used to build cisterns in three towns in the semi-arid region of the Northeast.

Finally, Walter Belck, of the recently created NGO, Zero Hunger Support (an umbrella group for the business community with First Lady Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva as honorary president) reports that there are many businesses interested in participating in social assistance programs but they do not know how to do so. (AB)