| Agriculture

Agrodefesa provides guidance on phytosanitary measures for banana cultivation in Goiás

Information was shared with technicians from Emater and Agrodefesa's own units; The focus is to expand knowledge and strengthen agricultural defense in the State

01.08.2023 | 14:02 (UTC -3)

Agrodefense Sector Communication

The Goiana Agricultural Defense Agency (Agrodefesa) held this Tuesday (01/08) a meeting to provide guidance on phytosanitary measures for banana cultivation and the commercialization of citrus and banana seedlings and fruits for the Food Acquisition Program (PAA Goiás) . The objective was to share information on the topics for technicians from the Goiana Agency for Technical Assistance, Rural Extension and Agricultural Research (Emater) and local Agrodefesa units. Representatives from the State Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Seapa) also participated.

The president of Agrodefesa, José Ricardo Caixeta Ramos, opened the meeting. He highlighted the economic and social importance of the fruit growing area in the State, which has gained attention from the Government of Goiás through projects such as PAA and Fruticultura Irrigada do Vão do Paranã. “It is a segment that drives the economy of several municipalities in Goiás, contributing to generating income and jobs. Hence the need to always strengthen agricultural defense work. Today, we are producing in an increasingly safe and sustainable way to prevent pests and diseases from affecting our fields and causing damage,” he reinforced.

The director of Agricultural Defense at Agrodefesa, Augusto Amaral, added that this integration between entities, such as Agrodefesa, Emater and Seapa, results in gains for producers and for the economic development of the State. “This greater knowledge applied to the field about phytosanitary measures, especially in relation to bananas, increases sanitary quality and helps reduce costs for producers”, he highlighted.

The director of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension at Emater, Antelmo Teixeira Alves, highlighted the relevance of banana cultivation for family farming in Goiás. “In some municipalities, banana farming is the flagship of the economy in these places. Not to mention that bananas are part of our table and are one of the main fruits consumed by the population.” He also said that Emater has been working on research to promote culture in the State. “We have studies focused on bananas to ensure higher quality products.”

referrals

Agrodefesa's Plant Health manager, Daniela Rézio, reinforced the need for information to reach rural producers, hence the importance of training and educational campaigns in Goiás. “We need to be increasingly closer, providing guidance and acting to guarantee defense health in fruit growing. We have pests and diseases that threaten activities such as banana farming, which is the case of Black Sigatoka, but with organized work we can avoid damage to the culture, producers and the State's economy,” she said.

Daniela also highlighted the event that will be held on August 23, in Anápolis (GO), with a focus on discussing banana farming scenarios in Goiás. Among the topics that will be covered at the meeting are 'Risks of the introduction and spread of pests that threaten banana farming in Goiás' and 'Phytosanitary measures for the prevention and control of pests in banana farming'. “It will be the opportunity to expand knowledge about the measures applied to banana cultivation and show the relevance of agricultural defense for the socio-economic-environmental strengthening of banana farming in Goiás”.