Producers who adopt irrigation will have more flexibility to access discounts on their electricity bill.

Rural producers who use electricity for irrigation and aquaculture now have more freedom to organize their consumption and take advantage of the discounts available to the Rural Class. Formalized by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), in partnership with the Ministries of Integration and Regional Development and Agriculture and Livestock, Normative Ordinance No. 137/2026 guarantees greater flexibility in choosing the times to use the tariff discount, allowing consumers to adapt the benefit to the needs of their property and different production periods. Under the new rule, the discount can be used for a daily period of up to 8 hours and 30 minutes, between 9:30 PM and 5:00 PM, which can be: continuous or divided into up to three periods; adjusted according to different times of the year; and defined with preference for the consumer, observing periods of lower demand on the electrical system. “We are giving rural producers more autonomy to choose the times that best meet their production needs and take advantage of discounts on their energy bills. This is a measure that reduces costs, improves the planning of activities in the field, and reinforces the Brazilian government's commitment to strengthening irrigation and aquaculture in Brazil,” highlights the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira. The initiative seeks to strengthen the public policy of incentivizing irrigation and aquaculture activities, which depend on electricity to guarantee productivity. By expanding the autonomy of rural consumers, the measure contributes to better planning of field operations and to reducing energy costs.

Learn how to apply for the benefit.

To access the benefit, rural producers must install a smart energy meter specifically for irrigation. If they already have one, they should contact their regional energy distributor and inform them of their desired hours. The measure prohibits distributors from imposing conditions that reduce the consumer's flexibility in defining discount hours. The chosen periods must be formalized in a contract or equivalent instrument between the producer and the energy distributor. The consumer will have preference in defining the time schedule, except for the period from 5 PM to 9:30 PM, for which discounts do not apply.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.