ANORC candidate Marcelo Passos proposes minimum milk price in Brazil
Speaking to Repórter 98 on 98FM Natal on October 30th, Passos proposed restructuring the Programa do Leite, which he considers essential to keeping dairy farming viable. He said the programme benefits processors and consumers and is particularly valuable to farmers. Passos, who previously headed ANORC for six years, produces sugar cane, beef cattle and milk. He stressed dairy farming's social importance, saying it continues to employ substantial numbers of workers despite technological advances.
Passos also attributed pressure on local businesses to competition from other Brazilian states. He said milk from the Centre-West reaches Rio Grande do Norte close to its expiry date and sells for less than locally supplied milk, making competition harder for the state's processors. He wants milk processed in Rio Grande do Norte to originate within the state and intends to discuss the issue with governor-elect Cadu Xavier of the Workers' Party (PT). Technology, he argued, is not the only factor that reduces costs.
His campaign also proposes an equipment unit within ANORC to deliver services directly to members' farms. He cited drone spraying as an example, saying it costs less than spraying with a tractor. During his earlier leadership, the association obtained a backhoe, a truck and a tractor through institutional partnerships. Passos identified financing as an obstacle to introducing technology and said he would seek state-government credit facilities through the state's development agency, something he had been unable to secure during his previous term.
Farm succession is another part of his agenda. Passos said farmers are ageing and too few younger people are entering the sector. He wants to persuade younger generations that remaining in agriculture is worthwhile. He also described security on rural properties as a serious problem.
On exports of live cattle through the state's port, Passos praised the work already undertaken but called for adjustments so that the animals shipped are raised in Rio Grande do Norte. He said the wealth generated by those shipments should remain within the state.
His slate also wants wider public access to Parque Aristófanes Fernandes. Passos said the contractual arrangements securing the site provide a basis for extending its use beyond the Festa do Boi livestock event. He plans to revive Domingo no Parque, an initiative introduced during his previous tenure and halted by the pandemic, with activities for children, older people and families. He also wants courses at the park in partnership with FAERN and closer links between ANORC and universities.
