Brazil agriculture commissioner resigns

Brazil agriculture commissioner resigns    Brazilian Agriculture Minister Roberto Rodrigues, saying he had done all he could for Brazilian farmers whose exports have declined as the value of Brazil's currency has skyrocketed, resigned on Wednesday.
   Last month, Rodrigues said the government will boost lending to farmers 13 percent for commercial crops starting in October to 50 billion reais to help growers offset narrowing export profits, a report from Bloomberg News said.
   Brazil's currency has increased in value by 59 percent since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office in January 2003.
   Rodrigues said that although gains had been made to help Brazilian agriculture, “the crisis is so deep that not all the solutions Brazilian farmers would like could be achieved.”
   In announcing his resignation, he said he was stepping down for personal reasons.