São Paulo – Morocco, the Arab country in Africa, and Sergipe, in the Northeast of Brazil, should promote exchange in the area of cactus cultivation. This information was provided by agronomist Paulo Suassuna, who operates as a consultant at the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) and visited Morocco last year presenting project “Palma para Sergipe” (Cactus for Sergipe) sponsored by the organisation. According to Suassuna, the Moroccans already consume the fruit, known as cactus pear or prickly pear, but were interested in its use as a forage plant, as is the case in Brazil.
The agronomist stated that a technician from the Arab country should come to Brazil to learn about the Brazilian experience in the area. There is not yet a specific date for the visit, however. Investment in cactus in Morocco, according to Suassuna, is part of the Green Morocco Plan, whose target is cultivating 25,000 hectares of the plant every five years.
The Sebrae consultant presented the project from Sergipe at the 7th International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal, which took place in Agadir and Marrakech, in October last year. The meeting has been taking place since 1991 and is organized by the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (Icarda) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. "The idea is now to promote technical exchange," said Suassuna. The project for cultivation of cactus in Morocco is developed by the local government.
In Sergipe the activity is fostered by the Sebrae, an institution for which Suassuna started working in 2008. According to the agronomist, 22 nuclei have already started being established, each including ten micro producers. They learnt to cultivate the product adequately to make it into feed for ruminants. The agronomist explained that he decided to specialize in prickly pears after completing his college course and learning that animal feed in the Northeast always depended on maize. "The idea was to develop feed from the caatinga (dry lands)," he said.
That was when he, together with Alberto Suassuna, a cousin, specialized in zootechny and nutrition, started working on a series of experiments with producers in the Caatinga. "When we got to prickly pear, we discovered that it was not as much a source of energy as maize," he said. The problem for use of cactus was that it needed four to five years before picking and generated 200 tonnes per hectare. The agronomist then travelled to Mexico, discussed the experience there and started testing different types of cultivation with farmers.
The new proposal involves from preparation of soil, fertilization, choice of varieties of the plant, their position in the sun, the use of techniques for removal of weeds and harvesting. "Productivity is ten to twelve times greater and harvesting takes place once a year," he explained. Independently, Suassuna worked in partnership with producers for several years, in the states of Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco and Alagoas, until he was invited by Sebrae to develop the project in the state of Sergipe.
In program “Palma para Sergipe” the farmers who participate in the group work on an experimental field and develop the cultivation of their crops. "We have three requirements: wanting to learn, hiring labour [for experiments] and developing the project at their property," explained Suassuna. Apart from techniques for cactus cultivation, the kids and wives of families receive training for use of cactus in cuisine and in the production of cosmetics.
Suassuna also teaches students aged seven to 14 years of age in private schools how to cultivate cactus. The little ones, in turn, transfer their knowledge to the adults at organized meetings. "The children stand up front, with a cactus in their hand and the adults watch," explained the agronomist, touched. "If, in future, a sales person goes by the kid selling prickly pear ice cream, it will be very natural," he finished off, making clear his intention of promoting the cultivation of the cactus in the Northeast.
*Translated by Mark Ament
