The Brazilian government believes it is possible to increase grain plantings 5% per year for several years without deforestation, Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro told Reuters. Favaro said this would occur within a new government plan to encourage the expansion of planted area using millions of hectares (acres) of degraded pastures, which can be converted into cropland. For this, the government will offer credit with adequate interest rates.
Favaro said Brazil currently has about 150 million hectares (370.66 million acres) of pastures with low productivity, that’s degrading or is already degraded. The plan is to convert around 40 million hectares into cropland in areas suitable for agricultural production.
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