Crédito aos pequenos agricultores : disponibilidade, necessidades e problemas

Abstract

In recent decades, credit to small farmers has been a concern for developing countries, considering that most of them are producers of primary products derived from agriculture. In Mozambique, where it is estimated that around 90% of the poor population lives in rural areas, sustaining themselves on the activity of small agricultural units, this concern becomes even greater. The introduction of the Economic Rehabilitation Program (PRE) in 1987 captivated this concern even more, as the private sector began to gain importance and the importance of small farmers as generators of wealth in the country also grew. However, at the same time, there is a reduction in credits granted to the economy as a result of the restrictive monetary policy imposed by the government on the National financial system; even the limited resources made available by commercial banks no longer prioritized agriculture as it was an activity with great risks and very long returns. Hence, small farmers have been left without the necessary means to continue their activity. On the other hand, during the 16-year civil war, farmers were left with infrastructure destroyed or deteriorated by aging or paralyzed for lack of adequate technical assistance. It was from there that, from 1995 onwards, some organizations started to carry out actions to support the development of the activities of these farmers, providing the equipment and inputs necessary for their activity. (TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)