Foundations and Limitations of the 2026/27 Rural Credit Plan for Agricultural Cooperatives

The recently announced 2026/27 Rural Credit Plan allocated significant resources to agricultural cooperatives, but experts highlight that these measures are still insufficient in light of challenges faced by the sector. According to the OCB (Organização das Cooperativas Brasileiras), the main achievement of the plan was a reduction in interest rates for Prodecoop and Procap-Agro lines, which fell from 13.5% to 12%, as well as lower costs for controlled resources allocated to cooperatives. However, Rodolfo Jordão, coordinator of the agricultural sector at OCB, points out that three essential aspects were missing: increased resource volume, enrolling family-owned cooperatives in building agro-industries and storage facilities, and adjustments in income classification for small and medium-sized producers. These limitations come amid particularly challenging times for agriculture, which faces falling grain prices and increased operational costs due to climatic issues and high interest rates. The national entity, representing 1,254 agricultural cooperatives with a projected revenue of R$ 487.3 billion in 2025, requested resources totaling R$ 674 billion for the plan but received only R$ 622.4 billion. The impact of these limitations can be seen both locally and globally, reflecting macroeconomic trends such as credit restrictions amid volatile and uncertain economic contexts. Source: Valor Econômico