Rio Grande do Sul State Assembly ends series of events focused on tobacco

August 2023 - The Subcommittee on the Defense of the Tobacco Supply chain, linked to the Rio Grande do Sul State Assembly's Agricultural, Livestock, Fishery and Cooperativism Committee (ALRS, in the Portuguese acronym), on 25 August, promoted the two final meetings held in two tobacco growing municipalities in the State of Rio Grande do Sul: Venâncio Aires and Arroio do Tigre. The event was chaired by state deputy Marcus Vinícius, coordinator of the Subcommittee, and attracted approximately 150 people to the City Council, including representatives of the supply chain, authorities, political and entrepreneurial leaderships.

The aim of the initiative consisted in collecting information in order to formulate and forward the stance of the ALRS regarding the provisions of the 10^th Conference of the Parties (COP 10), organized by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), scheduled for November, in Panamá. In all, six municipalities played host to the meetings: Santa Cruz do Sul, Camaquã, Venâncio Aires, Rio Pardo, Candelária and Arroio do Tigre. According to the deputy, based on the events, a final report will specify the difficulties and concerns relative to possible penalties that may have an impact on the tobacco supply chain.

"Contrary to other developed countries, as is the case of the United States, Brazil gave in to political correctness upon signing the Framework Convention, a fact that, in my opinion, was a mistake. From there to here, several restrictions were imposed on the sector and we are going to take this document to all major representatives of the federal government who are part of this initiative, so that no one can excuse themselves from failing to defend the sector, making it possible for us to promote a respectful debate, but equally more responsible about the entire supply chain", deputy Marcus Vinícius stresses.

Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco) president Iro Schünke attended the public hearing held in Venâncio Aires. The chief executive will also follow closely the presentation of the final report on Tuesday, August 29, at 4 p.m., at the Assis Brazil Exhibition Park, during the 46th Expointer. In Schünke's view, the document represents a relevant tool on behalf of the supply chain. "The COP is the worst dictatorship that exists, where our business is debated and we are not allowed to take part. Brazil, which should be the protagonist of the cause that comprises the production and export of tobacco, is walking in the opposite direction, adhering more quickly than other countries, where tobacco is neither grown nor exported, to the recommendations issued by the Conference of the Parties", he stressed.

MAGNITUDE OF TOBACCO - The treasurer of the Tobacco Growers' Association of Brazil (Afubra), Fabricio Murini, presented the results of the recent tobacco crop in the Region of South Brazil. The total crop of the 2022/2023 growing season amounted to 605,703 tons and the income earned by the farmers reached nearly R$ 11 billion. The numbers attest to the magnitude of the tobacco crop in South Brazil. In Venâncio Aires, for example, the 3,530 tobacco farmers earned R$ 328 million, revenue that will drive the economy of the municipality, positively affecting several sectors of the economy", Murini emphasized in his presentation. He also cited, the sake of comparison, what tobacco represents for family farmers. According to data released by Afubra, average income from one hectare of tobacco is equivalent to 6.19 hectares of soybean and 7.55 hectares of corn.

According to the mayor of Venâncio Aires, Jarbas da Rosa, the development of the municipality relies on the pillars of the tobacco supply chain. "Although investing strongly in rural and industrial diversification, tobacco still represents more than half of the economy of the municipality. There are lives transformed by tobacco, with income, health, education and, in November, we will fight on behalf of this important sector", the mayor said.

Photos: Divulgação

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