Straw Hat Program: how it works and who can participate

The Straw Hat Program is a very important initiative in the State of Pernambuco.

This is because, through it, thousands of families have guaranteed income during the off-season periods for sugar cane, fruit growing and artisanal fishing periods.

The idea is to help families who face unemployment and/or financial vulnerability due to these periods in which demand and results are lower.

Do you want to know more about this benefit, including who is entitled to it and how to request it? So, continue reading, as we will talk about all of this in today's material.

Discover the Straw Hat Program

Low and off-season periods can represent a major problem for families who depend on rural work to survive.

This is because the off-season periods are those in which there is no harvest, so that the sale of production is reduced or even impossible.

So, whether for those who work on their own, or for those who provide services to third parties, income can drastically reduce, either due to unemployment or a reduction in earnings due to low demand.

The idea of this program is to provide financial assistance at a certain period of the year, until things return to normal and families are once again able to guarantee their income using their own resources.

It is worth mentioning that, in addition to working in the rural sector, the applicant must also meet the income criteria to be eligible. Below we will see more details about the requirements to participate in the Straw Hat Program.

+Read also: Rural Maternity Salary: what is it and how to request it? – VitalyBrasil.

Who is entitled?

To participate in the Straw Hat Program it is necessary, first of all, to be a worker whose family faces poverty or extreme poverty as a result of the sugar cane, fruit growing or artisanal fishing off-season.

Furthermore, it is crucial that this family is registered with SEPLAG.

Finally, the worker must belong to one of the three groups served by the program:

1. Families in poverty or extreme poverty operating in the sugar cane or irrigated fruit growing sector, with a per capita income of up to R$ 60.00, or those with a per capita income between R$ 60.01 and R$ 120.00 with pregnant members , nursing mothers or children aged 0 to 12, or adolescents up to 15 years of age.
2. Families in poverty or extreme poverty working in the artisanal fishing sector with a per capita income of up to R$ 70.00, or those with a per capita income between R$ 70.01 and R$ 140.00 with pregnant members, nursing mothers or children of 0 to 12 years old, or teenagers up to 15 years old.
3. Young people between 18 and 29 years old who are unemployed due to the sugarcane off-season or who have a family member who is unemployed for the same reason.

Amounts paid to beneficiaries of the Straw Hat Program

In 2024, the amounts paid through the Chapéu de Palha Program underwent some changes, and the good news is that this change increased the amount and period for receiving the aid.

This year, the scholarships will have 5 installments, and until 2023 the program paid the aid for only 4 months.

Now talking about values, these were readjusted by 38%, so they will be paid:

• R$ 373.08 for workers in the sugar cane and irrigated fruit growing sector, in 5 installments;
• R$ 387.04 for artisanal fishermen.

It is worth mentioning that scholarships for young people between 18 and 29 years of age also underwent readjustment.

See how to register to participate

To participate in the Chapéu de Palha Program, you must pay attention to the registration periods by the Pernambuco Planning and Management Secretariat (SEPLAG).

This registration usually takes place at the beginning of the year, and is by region, so those interested should keep an eye on SEPLAG date notices.

It is important to say that, after registration, the attendant himself is responsible for informing the results of the request and other steps to receive the scholarships.

It is worth mentioning that the worker or representative of the family group must request registration.

Caixa TEM: Find out how to register your application to receive assistance

The amounts for the Straw Hat Program Scholarships are deposited in the Caixa TEM application.

Therefore, if you have already registered, it is crucial that you log in to the application to guarantee access to the values as soon as they drop.

To do this, simply search for the app in the Play Store or Apple Store, download it and then register with the benefit holder's CPF.

If everything is ok, just wait for the deposit, but if not, go to a Caixa Econômica Federal branch to resolve possible registration problems.

So, now that you know how the program works, stay tuned for updates for this and future years! Want to know more about the program? Click here: Straw Hat – Social Programs | CAIXA (e-pagamentoscaixa.gov.br).