Approval of the bill that removes MT from the Legal Amazon would imply agricultural losses of more than R$ 12 million
March 28, 2022
13:03
Marcela Leiros – from Cenarium Magazine
MANAUS – The agricultural sector in Mato Grosso could lose US$ 2.7 billion a year – equivalent to R$ 12, million – if the Bill (PL) 337/2022, authored by Federal Lawmaker Juarez Costa (MDB-MT), which aims to remove the state from the Legal Amazon, is approved. This is because the approval of the legislative matter would imply more deforestation and, consequently, damage to crops due to environmental imbalance.
The data is in the analysis of the Forest Code Observatory, based on calculations made by the Technical Committee of the Forest Code Observatory and in a Technical Note formulated by researchers from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The document indicates that the state will also be susceptible to losing at least 10 million hectares (MHa), and reduce “around 3.3 hectares the area that would have to be restored because it was illegally deforested”.
Among Costa’s arguments is the need to expand the agricultural potential in the state, which would be “impeded” by the percentage of areas that must be compulsorily preserved, but the analysis points out divergences in the justification of the author of the legislative matter.
The research reminds that what makes possible the agricultural productivity in the state, where “it is possible to harvest up to two crops of grains”, is that there is still enough preserved forest to guarantee the rains that allow these two crops. “The increase in deforestation allowed by this project would precisely affect the supply of this environmental service, reducing volumes and altering the regularity of rainfall in the region,” an excerpt quotes.
Governor inclined to support
Besides Mato Grosso, owner of the fifth largest area of Amazon Forest among the States, the Legal Amazon is formed by Acre, Pará, Amazonas, Roraima, Rondônia, Amapá, Tocantins and Maranhão.
The Forest Code currently determines that rural properties located in the state must maintain under protection or sustainable use 80, 35 and 20% of their area, if they are located in forest or cerrado regions, which is where almost all the agricultural production in Mato Grosso is located. If the PL is approved, these properties would be obliged to maintain only 20% of their area as a Legal Reserve.
The governor of Mato Grosso, Mauro Mendes (União Brasil), commented on the PL last Friday, 25th. According to him, the matter has already been discussed with the author of the proposal and the main point to be taken into consideration is the risk it could bring to the industrialization of Mato Grosso. Industries located in the state receive tax benefits, such as exemption in Income Tax (IR).
“I warned: ‘Look, leaving the Legal Amazon, we are going to lose an important incentive for industrialization, which is the income tax exemption for industries that install here in the region. And this will be a process of deindustrialization of our state. And I am told that they are going to try to fix this in the bill. So if we preserve these tax incentives, I will be very much in favor of this project being approved and implemented,” said the governor in a press conference.
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