The Ministry of Agriculture and Conab (National Supply Company) are aligning actions to strengthen storage, public stocks, and supply.

On Thursday (28), the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula, received the board of directors of the National Supply Company (Conab) to discuss strategic issues related to agricultural policy and national supply. Among the topics discussed were the modernization and expansion of storage capacity, the formation of public stocks, the monitoring of the grain harvest and instruments to support marketing and food security. During the meeting, the minister highlighted Conab's strategic role in the formulation and execution of public policies for the agricultural sector. "Conab continues to be primarily responsible for surveys of the harvest, production costs, public stocks and prospects for agriculture, information that serves as the basis for the construction of the Ministry's policies," said André de Paula. The executive secretary of Mapa, Cleber Soares, highlighted the Company's role as the Ministry's main operational arm in economic subsidy actions, public procurement and price equalization operations. According to him, Conab's actions contribute to reducing market distortions. "When the market presents distortions that harm both the producer and the consumer, it is Conab that acts to ensure greater balance in the production chain," he said. The CEO of Conab, Sílvio Isoppo Porto, highlighted the importance of institutional dialogue between federal government agencies. "This dialogue with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) is fundamental for us. The construction of Brazilian agricultural policy is done jointly between the two ministries, especially in the definition of the Crop Plans and in actions to support rural producers." During the meeting, actions related to Rural Insurance and the Coffee Economy Defense Fund (Funcafé) were also discussed, instruments aimed at protecting rural producers and financing strategic actions for Brazilian coffee farming. Another topic addressed was the definition of minimum prices for the summer crop. The Ministry of Agriculture and Conab are already working together on discussions about the Minimum Price Guarantee Policy (PGPM), an instrument that ensures minimum remuneration for rural producers during periods of excessive market price drops. Conab also presented information on the storage capacity and management of public food stocks in the country. Currently, the Company's warehouses have a static capacity of approximately 1.7 million tons, with about 1.2 million tons stored. Conab is also working on actions aimed at modernizing the infrastructure and expanding the operational capacity of the federal storage network. Among the measures discussed was the release of R$ 54.3 million in supplementary credit by the Civil House for the advance purchase of corn and the formation of preventive regulatory stocks in the face of the possible impacts of the El Niño phenomenon in 2026. The meeting also addressed Brazilian participation in international humanitarian aid operations. Conab participates in the logistics and provision of food destined for humanitarian cooperation actions, including the shipment of rice and powdered milk to support Bolivia and food assistance actions to Cuba. The joint action between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and the National Supply Company (Conab) is considered strategic for monitoring the production, supply, and marketing of food, contributing to the stability of agricultural markets and the country's food security.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.