Banana production and management are the subject of a course in Bragança (PA)

The production and management system of BRS Pacoua, an Embrapa banana cultivar developed for the state of Pará, is the subject of a course held this Thursday, 14th, at the Training Center of the Agroecological Didactic Unit of Northeast Pará (UDB), in Bragança.

Promoted in partnership between Embrapa Amazônia Oriental and the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Pará (Emater), the training is aimed at extensionists in the region, but will also welcome producers and students, as a way of stimulating fruit production in the region. region.

Pará was once the largest banana producer in Brazil, reaching the peak of production between 1998 and 2000. But due to the high incidence of diseases, harvests began to decline and currently the state occupies fifth place, reaching just over 500 bananas. thousand tons in 2018, according to IBGE. Currently, around 30% of the bananas consumed in the state come from other regions of the country. In the metropolitan region of Belém, this percentage reaches 90%.

The training will last one day with theoretical and practical content, taught by Embrapa analyst, Antônio José de Meneses. He explained that the course was initially designed to serve Emater technicians, with a view to expanding banana farming in the region and open to producers and students.

Meneses reinforced that BRS Pacoua has numerous advantages, as it was developed especially for Pará, mainly targeting issues associated with resistance to diseases such as yellow Sigatoka, Panama disease and also, more moderately, to Sigatoka- black. He also mentioned that banana stands out in the cultivation of family farming, as in addition to producing year-round, with a fixed income for the producer, it is also an excellent component in consortia, whether in agroforestry systems (SAFs) or alongside açaí and cocoa. “In addition to the income from banana sales, the leaves and residues from banana plantation management serve as fertilizer and water storage for the açaí plantation, reducing management costs", he explained.

The second most produced fruit in Pará, the banana is second only to açaí, but when it comes to consumption, it takes the lead by leaps and bounds. This predilection for the fruit creates a potential market for the expansion of the crop, as most regions of the state have great external dependence on the product.

About BRS Pacoua: It is a banana hybrid, the product of crossing initiated by Embrapa Cassava and Fruticulture in the 90s and installed in Pará in partnership with Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. When cultivated with appropriate technologies and management, bananas can produce up to 40 tons per hectare (t/ha) from the second cycle onwards, more than double the national average, which is 14 (t/ha) (IBGE/2015 ).

Service: Banana Production and Management System Course

Date: March 14

Location: Training Center of the Agroecological Didactic Unit of Northeast Pará (UDB), Bragança-PA

Audience: Emater technicians, producers and students.