The Secretary of Agriculture of Rio Grande do Sul defends increase of the addition percentage of bio

On this Wednesday (06), during the meeting of the Agro-energy Thematic Chamber of the Agriculture, Livestock and Agribusiness Secretariat, at the central auditorium of Expodireto, in Não-Me-Toque (RS), trends and directions of the gaúcha agro-energy were discussed. The secretary, Luiz Fernando Mainardi, and the coordinator of the Chamber Valdir Zonin were coordinating the works.

Over his speech, the secretary spoke that the B7 (which is the addition of 7% of biodiesel to fossil diesel) needs a definition from the federal government. “We are still and the governors do no explain why there is no advance in the National Program of Production and Use of Biodiesel – PNPB. As biodiesel generates wealth, we process the grain in the state, producing bran and other products, not exporting the grain in natura,” asserted Mainardi.

The superintendent of the Association of Biodiesel Producers of Brasil – APROBIO, Julio Minelli, corroborated the statements by saying that the production of this renewable energy aggregates 113% more employment and 35% more of Gross Domestic Product - GDP when compared to fossil diesel. “The country and Rio Grande do Sul has industrial conditions and availability of raw material to reach the B10, we aim at a percentage gradual increase,” asserted Minelli.

“The compulsory increase of the mixture is important,” said the President of the National Chamber of Biodiesel, Odacir Klein. He said that the program includes a great productive chain, including Family agriculture. In Rio Grande do Sul, the plants which own the Social Fuel Stamp, which is an identification provided by the Ministry of Agrarian Development – MAD, to producers of biodiesel that promote social inclusion and regional development by means of job and income generation for family farmers who fit in the criterion of the National Program of Family Agriculture Strengthening – Pronaf, acquire 35% of their raw material from family agriculture.

Other points like crops diversification, like the production and research of canola growth were also discussed at the event. “Embrapa-Trigo is engaged in a research project to turn the crop more competitive and productive and to increase the area of production,” emphasized the general chief, Sérgio Dotto.

At the end of the event, guidelines of speakers and participants from other entities in a document that will be issued to the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Tarso Genro, and the National Chamber of Biodiesel, were made.