New Minha Casa Minha Vida Developments for Petrolina North Brazil

The 'Minha Casa Minha Vida' programme was launch amidst a certain amount of scepticism back in 2009 but is now welcomed by all as an excellent programme that is helping out millions of middle class families in Brazil. The Minha Casa Minha Vida programme initially launched in the North East but after its success is now expanding throughout the conuntry with the city of Petrolina the next to benefit.

Petrolina is in Pernambuco State, on the north (left) bank of the Sao Francisco River. It is one of a pair of 'twin cities. Its 'partner', just opposite, is Juazeiro and, connected by a modern bridge, the two settlements have a great deal to do with each other. Petrolina is situated about 750 Km from Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco. Upriver of Petrolina is the famous Sobradinho Dam which has created a huge lake of the same name. They are both about 25 Km from Petrolina itself but provide the 'lifeblood' by the city ( and other ones nearby) can exist and indeed, flourish. Petrolina has an annual GDP in excess of three point two billion Brazilian reais.

It's no exaggeration to say that the city owes not just its existence but most of its modern prosperity to the dam. This has enabled large-scale irrigation in the surrounding area, much of which is naturally dry and almost desert-like. Instead of the former very dry and arid conditions there are now hundreds of square kilometres of fertile land. This vital input has helped Petrolina and its twin to grow to become the important cities they are today, not just the 'subsistence economies' with basic agriculture and cattle-ranching they were previously. This means the both Petrolina and Juazeiro nowadays are magnets for immigrants and investors, unlike many other parts of the north east. The population of the twin cities area has more than doubled in the last thirty years. This growth is because that part of the country has often been seen as an economic 'problem area' but Petrolina is known to be an exception. The local economy is manly centred on agricultural production and processing. This includes grapes and mangoes and other fruits of many kinds. The area is well known throughout Brazil as an important supplier of high-quality vegetables of all types.

Road (BR 407) and rail (Ferrovia Centro-Atlantica) communications have both been greatly improved in recent decades and so has the supply of reliable energy supplies. All these things have obviously helped enormously the development of the region which now has a productive irrigated area of1,200 sq.Km. This makes the district highly attractive for both long term investment and short term investment too. These days the population of Petrolina is above the 280,000 mark and it continues to grow. In addition, its 'alter ego' Juazeiro combines with it to make a joint economic and population unit of over half a million people. Petrolina is now set to be a future investment hotspot with hundreds of new keen investors each week looking into the Minha Casa Minha Vida social housing program as safe and secure investments.