The Municipal Agriculture Office in Golungo Alto expects, in this agricultural season, the harvest of 80 thousand tons of various products, 35 thousand more compared to the previous period
The head of the sector, Pedro Feijó, who spoke on Tuesday at the opening of the agricultural campaign, indicated that this increase is due to the acquisition of some farming machines by peasants who benefited from bank credit and also provide services to third parties.
In 2019, he pointed out, a farmer in the municipality benefited from financing from the Credit Support Program, in 2022, two were covered under the Commercial Agriculture Development Project (PDAC) and a cooperative also benefited from credit from the Development Bank .
This financing, which the source considered still negligible, has allowed the acquisition of some tractors. Pedro Feijó informed that the municipality is also witnessing the recovery of many agricultural farms, palm groves and coffee plantations, previously abandoned.
In the last agricultural season, coffee growers harvested 120 tons of coffee and this year, 150 tons are expected to be harvested. He noted that there is great interest among the population and local authorities in investing in agriculture to boost the economy and improve the population’s quality of life.
As a result of this investment in agriculture, he indicated, the Municipal Administration, within the framework of the Local Development and Poverty Alleviation Program, has supported peasant families with inputs and agricultural mechanization.
However, he considered that the revitalization of the sector depends on financing and investments in agricultural mechanization, which he considered a problem in the municipality.
In the 2022/2023 agricultural season, of the 6,710 hectares prepared, 283 were mechanized and in this 2023/2024 season mechanization remains low, in eight thousand hectares 500 were prepared with the support of tractors.
He said that this situation has impeded the development of the sector in the region, stressing that if a farmer can manually prepare five hectares, with machines he goes much further, promoting commercial agriculture.
In the municipality of Golungo Alto, the opening of the agricultural campaign was marked with the creation of two agricultural cooperatives integrated by women and the distribution of inputs and work tools to members and other peasants.