São Paulo – The Brazilian minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Kátia Abreu, launched this Tuesday (24th) a surveillance program for agricultural defense at border areas (Programa de Vigilância em Defesa Agropecuária na Faixa de Fronteira). It provides for BRL 125 million (USD 33.78 million) in investment over a five-year span to enhance sanitary and phytosanitary actions along Brazil’s 15,719 km border stretch. The country shares borders with 10 countries.
Also launched was Canal Azul (the Blue Channel), an online export-import process that eliminates paperwork and will enable speedier clearance of cargo for international trade, as well as Força Nacional do Sistema Brasileiro de Atenção à Sanidade Agropecuária (FN-SUASA, the National Force of the Brazilian System for Agricultural Sanitation Attention), tasked with assistance measures, epidemics and disaster control, and untended herds or crops. The goal is to respond swiftly to zoo-phytosanitary emergencies.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
