RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's grain production will reach record high of 185 million tons this year, President Dilma Rousseff said Monday in her weekly radio show.
The president praised the agriculture sector and attributed the expected harvest to credit expansion for producers, cheaper loans and greater investment, as well as to the country's rich soil and favorable climate.
"Brazil's government offered 115 billion reals (58.6 million U.S. dollars) to finance agribusiness and 18 million reals (9.2 million dollars) for family farming," she said, adding that the spending on agricultural equipment rose 24 percent this year.
By now, mid-season farmers have already borrowed 72 billion reals (36.7 billion dollars) of that amount, according to the president.
"All of that means better technology for farms and the result is that today we have one of the most efficient and modern agricultural sectors in the world," she said.
The president also highlighted the importance of family or small-scale farming, which supplies food to public schools in 70 percent of Brazil's towns.
"We want these figures to grow even higher. Not only will our children and youngsters benefit, the farmers' income will also increase," she said.
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