Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon jumps 28 per cent

Brasilia, Nov 15: The Brazilian government said on Thursday that deforestation of its

rainforest rose by 28 per cent over the period of August 2012 to July 2013.

"We confirm a 28-percent increase in the rate of deforestation," Xinhua reported quoting Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira as saying at a press conference.

The previous year, just 4,571 sq km of forests were cut.

She said that the most recent figures show 5,843 sq km of rainforest were felled over the period against 4,571 sq km of deforestation the previous year.

According to the minister, extensive farming and soybean production in the northern state of Para and the central western state of Mato Grosso were key factors behind the rise.

The minister said she was calling an emergency meeting with Amazon regional environment secretaries of state next week to deal with the situation.

The August through July period was the time when Brazil measures the annual destruction of the forest.

IANS