Centro Sabiá reopens fruit pulp processing unit in Zona da Mata

By Rosa Sampaio
Sabiá Center journalist

Tuesday (15/4) was a day of celebration at Engenho Conceição, in the rural area of Sirinhaém, Mata Sul de Pernambuco. The Sabiá Center, together with the community, reopened the fruit pulp processing unit, which was named after the late Maria Zulmira de Freitas, a farmer and leader who fought hard to win the unit.

And it was in this atmosphere of conquest and remembrance that the children and grandchildren of Mrs. Zulmira celebrated the moment, together with all those who make up the Engenho, representatives of the municipality’s management, students and teachers from the Federal Institute of Barreiros, the IAF, the Centro Sabiá team and other guests.

Maria Cristina Aureliano, general coordinator of the Sabiá Center, recounted the community’s struggle to obtain the processing equipment. “It’s a shame that Mrs. Zulmira and Mr. Domingos are no longer here with us to celebrate this achievement. This processing unit is the fruit of their struggle, this land was given by both of them so that we could install it here, it was a dream, a struggle and today it is a reality for the whole community of Engenho Conceição.”

According to Edgar Caliento, Centro Sabiá’s technician in the Zona da Mata territory, the unit will have the capacity to process 10,500 kg of pulp, with a daily turnover of 500 kg.

“With this capacity, we can boost the income of the region’s producer families, enabling them to manage agroforestry more dynamically and opening up new markets for their produce. It’s a victory for the community, for family farming and for society as a whole,” Edgar celebrated.

The unit aims to meet the demand of around 50 producer families from Engenho and the surrounding area, increasing access to markets and public policies such as the National School Feeding Program (PNAE). José Cardoso, Secretary of Education for the municipality of Sirinhaém, highlighted the community’s potential and said that the municipality has already been preparing the public call for proposals for the PNAE, which Cardoso said would be announced soon.

Family farmer Cristina de Freitas, now a member of the unit’s management council, celebrates the arrival of the improvement. “Today is a day of great emotion, we have a lot of fruit and a lot was lost, look at how much cajá we have, this is very important for us, we’re going to make more use of the fruit, we’re going to have income and I just have to thank the Sabiá Center for fighting with us for this unit.”

Like Cristina, other women in the community will be the biggest beneficiaries of the new equipment, as they are the ones who grow the fruit and are most committed to improving this production and its marketing.

The restructuring of the fruit pulp processing unit at Engenho Conceição only came about through the mobilization of the community, with the Centro Sabiá project and support from the IAF (Inter-American Foundation).

For Juliana Menucci, the Foundation’s local representative, this support was only possible because the IAF saw in the Sabiá Center the possibility of involving the community in the project. “It was a privilege for the Inter-American Foundation to support this stage. I would like to congratulate the Sabiá Center for its initiative and all of you from Engenho Conceição for your continuous effort and participation in all stages of the action.

Cajá, mango, graviola, acerola, passion fruit, açaí, araçá, pineapple, cashew and so many other fruits from the Atlantic Forest can now be put to better use, not only in juices, but also as jams, jellies and other processed products. On the one hand, the stimulus to production, improvements in the management of agro-ecosystems, preserving the forest and generating more income for family farming; on the other hand, the supply of healthy, poison-free products to the markets and to all of local society.

It’s agroecology building sustainable bridges between the countryside and the city.