Brasília, April 30, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Since July 1, 2003, the Bank of Brazil (BB) has disbursed US$ 6.05 billion (R$ 17.8 billion) to cover operating expenses, investments, storage, and commercialization associated with the 2003/2004 growing season, which ends on June 30. This volume of resources represents a 40% increase in relation to the bank's outlays on the previous harvest, according to the BB's vice-president for Agribusiness and Government, Ricardo Conceição.

The BB intends to distribute an additional US$ 748 million (R$ 2.2 billion) in the next two months, bringing the total to US$ 6.798 billion (R$ 20 billion), 33.3% more than what it lent during the 2002/2003 growing season.

One of the noteworthy aspects of the BB's application of funds in the last ten months concerns credit lines designed for family farming. US$ 986 million (R$ 2.9 billion) have been directed to this sector, 90% more than what was invested over the same period during the 2002/2003 harvest.

Translator: David Silberstein