The Rio de Janeiro Government Allocated About R$2 Million for Agribusiness, for Dairy Producers in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and Increased the Ceiling for Low-Interest Loans

International Cheese Day is celebrated on January 20, in addition to the fact that the delicacy graces people’s tables, it also opens opportunities for business, employment, income, and even tourism.

In fact, the State of Rio de Janeiro, through the State Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Supply (SEAPPA), offers some financing programs to support the legalization, expansion, and capacity assistance for producers in the region. 

Only with the Rio Leite Program, which focuses on financing milk producers, the department has supported about 84 projects in Rio, providing around R$ 2 million since July 2020 for the structuring of their productions and adding value to the products developed in the state.

With this measure, which promises short- to medium-term returns, it worked very well, causing the ceiling for entrepreneurs’ investments to recently increase from R$ 25 thousand to a limit of R$ 40 thousand for business structuring. 

“In a slice of cheese lies the dream and work of many people. We invested R$ 2 million in micro and small companies in the dairy sector because we recognize the potential of various cities, especially in the interior of the state.

These projects make a difference in the lives of these entrepreneurs, who create job opportunities, income, and stimulate the economy of their cities. Our department’s plan, through the Prosperar program, is to support more than 100 projects, with financing of around R$ 5 million in the coming years,” says Governor Cláudio Castro. 

The amounts invested by the Rio Leite Project are provided at rates below those practiced by banks and also with a grace period of 12 months before payments begin, with installments over 48 months. All the amounts returned to producers are reinvested so they can support other businesses of the same nature.

Currently, the Prosperar Program funds agro-industries with around R$ 100 thousand and has already supported over 55 milk processing units with all legalizations, totaling an investment of R$ 2,390,651.46 in recent years. 

Thanks to them, the dairy factory Manoel Borges, located in Paty do Alferes, strengthened its sales in the municipality and expanded to Petrópolis, Paraíba do Sul, Três Rios, Barra do Piraí, Vassouras, Piracambi, Miguel Pereira, and the Capital of Rio de Janeiro.

Rogéria Borges, the daughter of the company’s founder and also a partner of the brand with over 20 years in the market, emphasizes that the project allowed for an increase in product variety, directly employing 15 people and more than 100 indirectly.  

“Here we have the manual production of fresh Minas cheese, standard Minas cheese, Parmesan, ricotta, dulce de leche, butter, yogurt in various flavors, in addition to dulce de leche with passion fruit jelly. Everything is made with the fruit pulp. All our producers are from Paty do Alferes, Paraíba do Sul, and Vassouras. With the line of credit offered by Prosperar, we purchased a skim milk separator, a pasteurizer, and a cooler. It would take us a long time to acquire this equipment, and with this investment, we were able to buy and store much more milk,” she states.