Rural and land credit: access and perceptions of rural families in the northwest region of Minas Gerais

Abstract

The study aimed to understand the perception of farming families on access to the National Program for Strengthening Family Farming PRONAF) in the Model Settlement, as well as on the National Land Credit Program (PNCF) in the family production units Brejão and Tabuleiro in municipality of Unaí, in Minas Gerais. To this end, a survey was carried out using a semi-structured script involving 42 respondents, representatives of rural families during the year 2019. The results show that respondents who access the PNCF seek to purchase a rural property, increase income family and working on their own, that is, the rural family aims for autonomy and progress in the rural environment. The research pointed out that there are families that depend on income transfer programs such as “Bolsa Família” and retirement, that is, the land is not enough to guarantee income for the families settled or in the process of settlement. In relation to PRONAF, the results show that families have interest, despite the lack of knowledge or low access to the credit line. The investigation also pointed out the presence of non-agricultural or pluriactive incomes, as a function of guaranteeing an income for rural families.