Ana Paula Marra and Nelson Motta
Reporters - Agência Brasil

Brasília – The federal government, in an answer to the "11th Cry of the Brazilian Land" organized by the National Confederation of Agricultural Workers (Contag), announced the release of US$3.7 billion (R$9 billion) for the 2005-2006 Family Agriculture Harvest Plan. The announcement was made by the Minister of Agrarian Development, Miguel Rosseto, this Thursday (2), after meeting Contag’s representatives.

The president of Contag, Manoel dos Santos, said that the group was satisfied with the government’s answer, despite their initial requesting of US7.5 billion (R$18 billion) for the Plan. Miguel Rosseto affirmed that the volume of resources announced represents an increase of 30% when compared to current plan’s resources.

According to Rosseto, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also signed the expropriation of 36 thousand hectares of land in the North and Northeast regions of the country, to be used in the agrarian reform.

Manoel dos Santos said that another government decision that pleased rural workers, promised by President Lula, was the commitment to send to Congress, in the next days, the law project that releases US$291 million (R$700 million) for the agrarian reform, of a total of US$667 million (R$1.6 billion) still on hold.

The government also committed to keep rural workers covered by the country’s general social security system, informed Manoel dos Santos. He announced that the category will keep fighting until the government fulfills agrarian reform’s goals.

Translation: Andréa Alves