Expansion of cocoa cultivation in 10 municipalities will receive funds from Funcacau
The initiative was presented during a meeting of the Fund's Management Council at the headquarters of Sedap. Important events for the promotion and dissemination of cocoa were also approved.
The integration of necessary support activities for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension to the expansion of cocoa cultivation in 10 municipalities in the area of the Sustainable Territories Program (PTS) and the realization of events aimed at promoting and disseminating the cocoa segment were among the projects approved this Thursday (15) at the extraordinary meeting of the Pará Cocoa Cultivation Support Fund (Funcacau), which is coordinated by the State Government through the Secretariat of Agricultural Development and Fisheries (Sedap).
The meeting of the Fund's Management Council was held at the headquarters of the secretariat and was attended by the head of Sedap, Giovanni Queiroz, who is the president of the Funcacau Condel. According to the results of the meeting, three significant events will be held in Pará this year that will receive funds from Funcacau. The first will be the Amazon Cocoa and Chocolate Fair and Flor Pará, from June 5 to 8 at the Hangar Convention and Fair Center of the Amazon. The event will be organized by the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Pará (Faepa) with the support of Sedap.
From June 26 to 29, the International Chocolate and Cocoa Festival of Transamazônica will be held in the municipality of Altamira, in the Xingu Integration Region. Subsequently, according to the information provided at the meeting, CacauFest will take place, a traditional program that brings together specialists and producers in the municipality of Medicilândia, also in the Xingu RI.
Secretary Giovanni Queiroz emphasized the importance of these events for the dissemination of the cocoa segment. Regarding the Cocoa Fair, which will be held in Belém, the manager reiterated Sedap's support, which will contribute by providing the Hangar and the participation of its technical staff. He also mentioned the importance of the festivals that will take place in Transamazônica.
The coordinator of Strategic Projects at Faepa and president of the Cocoa Sector Chamber of the State of Pará, Maria Goreti Gomes, reported that more than 200 producers have already confirmed their participation as exhibitors at the event in Belém, and nearly 200 will participate in the technical meetings.
"We are expecting a large audience, as always, and we take this opportunity to invite everyone who wants to participate to join us; we will have exhibitions of more than 100 brands from Pará and other states," announced Goreti.
Assistance- Secretary Giovanni Queiroz also emphasized the importance of the joint action project between Sedap and Emater, which aims to expand cocoa cultivation through the development of 300 rural credit projects in 10 municipalities.
The project was proposed by the head of Sedap to Funcacau to integrate technical assistance and rural extension activities to benefit family farmers served by the National Agrarian Reform Program and the peoples of traditional communities in those municipalities that simultaneously have PTS actions and in agricultural zoning areas for the implementation of cocoa cultivation in Pará (carried out by the Executive Commission of the Cocoa Cultivation Plan - Ceplac).
The manager explained that Sedap will select the area of operation and indicate the producers eligible for the project. The mobilization and guidance to the producers informed by the secretariat will be one of the actions that will be the responsibility of Emater, as established in the project proposed during the Funcacau Management Council meeting.
According to Wandenkolk Gonçalves, who represented Emater - the agency to which he assumed the position of technical director this week - the institution will provide the necessary infrastructure for the execution of the project, such as vehicles, machine costs, and technicians, as a counterpart.
Funcacau will provide R$ 900,000 in three installments to implement the initiative, according to Wandenkolk Gonçalves.
"I believe this is an important first step to strengthen relations with Ceplac, with the State Department of Finance (Sefa), with social movements represented by Fetrafi and Fetagri - which are federations representing family farmers and rural workers - and also with Faepa; the commitment of the State of Pará has been characterized in a single direction following the guidance of Governor Helder Barbalho," emphasized the Emater director.
