23. Agricultural and rural development policy

We commit to foster the country’s agricultural and rural development, including farming, cattle raising, aquiculture, agribusinesses and sustainable forestry exploitation, to foster the sector’s economic and social development. Within the State’s subsidiary and regulatory role, enshrined in the Constitution, we will promote market profitability and expansion of agriculture activities, fostering their competitiveness for exporting in seeking to socially improve the rural population.

With this objective, the State: (a) will support agricultural frontier expansion and agricultural production increase, specially emphasizing productivity, export promotion with increased value added and defending the internal market from subsidised imports; (b) will develop irrigation infrastructure, water regulation and distribution systems, soil improvement, and it will promote transportation, electrification, communications, storage and agricultural produce conservation services; (c) will articulate the development of intermediate cities which, with the improvement of rural infrastructure, will drive private investment and promote the creation of work opportunities; (d) will support agricultural modernization and agribusinesses, fostering genetic research, technological development and the extension of technical knowledge; (e) will formulate national and regional policies to foster agricultural activity, seeking its profitability; and (f) and will foster an efficient agricultural information system that will permit farmers to choose appropriate economic alternatives and prepare national, regional and local indicative plans.