The Ativa Barcarena project promoted the third cycle of technical assistance with workshops for sharing agricultural techniques for local producers. During the months of July and August, there were 8 workshops with the participation of farmers from 13 communities in the municipality, who are also being trained in the formation of networks of local producers. In addition to the workshops, through cycles of visits, the program has rural technical assistance activities directly to 91 family farmers, promoted since January this year.

The focus of this third cycle of technical visits was the sharing of agroecological techniques and good management practices for family farms. The workshops addressed topics such as bio-inputs, production and the use of agroecological inputs, allowing participants to experience in practice solutions for soil recovery, such as the preparation of low-cost biofertilizers and organic compounds that serve to strengthen the species.

Learning low-cost agricultural solutions

Soil management is essential to improve agricultural production in the territory, since Amazonian soils tend to acidify. “In addition to the natural composition of the soils in the region, the incorrect management of slash and burn, without adequate time for the period of soil and vegetation regeneration, results in acidic and nutritionally poor soils. With the workshops, we provide knowledge and tools for restoring and maintaining the health of the soil, accessible to farmers with materials available in the production units themselves,” explains Thiara Fernandes, technical assistance coordinator at Ativa Barcarena. Various techniques were also shared to support pest and disease control in production: Water Glass, Bordeaux mixture and Neem preparation with coconut soap.

The assimilation of solutions in the daily lives of farmers is the purpose of the workshops. Therefore, all preparations are made considering the cost and local availability of materials. Manipueira and manure biofertilizers, by-products found in production units, are some of the products that are already being used by workshop participants. For Martinha Ferreira Ribeiro, a farmer from the Arienga-Ramal community and one of the participants in Ativa Barcarena, “there were many lessons learned. How to make fertilizers with the things we already have in our area, such as manipueira, which we discard, and chicken manure”, she said enthusiastically.

Another participating farmer, José Alberto, from the Águas Verdes community, in Vila dos Cabanos, shared the satisfaction of receiving the training. For him, "the solutions presented by the project team are simple and prepared with easily obtainable materials, which do not require a high financial investment for preparation". “This training is important because it gives us farmers autonomy, so that we do not depend only on the market, without having to buy all the inputs and that we can prepare the solutions ourselves,” reported Itamar de Souza Pereira, a farmer from the Cupuaçu community.

Safety and health as a priority

To ensure the safety of participants, all Ativa Barcarena activities follow a prevention protocol against Covid-19. The workshops were held during the morning, always in open areas, allowing for comfortable distance. As part of the protocol, the team provides masks and alcohol gel throughout the period so that participants remain protected, in addition to prevention kits containing masks, cap, face shield and alcohol gel.

Ativa Barcarena will continue to promote workshops. Two are already planned for September: management and reduced impact focused on the production of açaí and poultry, which addresses good practices in raising free-range chicken and other birds. In addition to the workshops and technical assistance, until December the project will carry out collective training on good management practices for family farms.

Learn about the techniques shared in the biofertilizers workshop

Access to knowledge is essential for farmers to produce more and better. It is with this objective that the Ativa Barcarena project offers tools for the autonomy of family producers based on the concept of peasant biopower (developed by the agroecological network Juquira Candiru). These are techniques designed in agroecology networks in Latin America that make up farmer empowerment strategies.

Manure Biofertilizer

Which is? Manure-based liquid biofertilizer.

What is it for? By applying biofertilizer made from prepared organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms that are important for the health of the soil are introduced.

Liquid Manipueira Biofertilizer

Which is? Made from the by-product of the production of flour, material that would be discarded.

What is it for? Made from manipueira, a liquid usually discarded in the flour production process and can be used as a fertilizer.

Water Glass

Which is? Potassium silicate, produced by mixing ash, quicklime and hot water.

What is it for? Provides foliar nutrition and is beneficial for vegetables and fruit. It works as a film that prevents the attack of mites and fungi, strengthening plants in a drought situation. It can be made from the ashes from the flour toast or from the house's own oven (it is recommended to avoid barbecue ashes that may contain salt and fat).

Bordeaux mixture

Which is? Copper sulfate with lime.

What is it for? Medicine for plants attacked by fungi and bacteria.