The Senate approved on Wednesday, June 10, a bill authorizing special debt refinancing for rural producers, with an estimated impact of up to R$140 billion on public debt.
The Senate floor approved bill PL 5.122/2023, which allows a special line of rural debt renegotiation with grace periods, lower interest rates and extended terms. Rapporteur Senator Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL) expanded the scope to include producers affected by geopolitical conflicts, in addition to climate events. The Finance Ministry estimated an impact of R$140 billion over ten years, lower than previous projections. The text authorizes use of Pre-Salt Social Fund resources from 2026 and 2027, with limits of R$10 million per beneficiary and R$50 million per association. Interest rates were set at 3.5% per year for PRONAF, 5.5% for PRONAMP and 7.5% for other producers. The bill returns to the Chamber of Deputies. The government expressed opposition and indicated a possible challenge at the STF.
