Pará celebrates sustainability and innovation with cocoa, chocolate, and Amazonian flowers fair
Event supported by the State Government expects to attract 50,000 visitors in Belém and reinforces Pará's leading role in national cocoa and flower production
In less than two weeks, Belém will host one of the largest agro-industrial events in the North Region: the "Amazon Cocoa and Chocolate Fair and Pará Flower", at Hangar, in Belém, from June 5 to 8. The event is an opportunity for small, medium, and large producers to practically show over 50,000 people why Pará is considered the largest cocoa producer in the country, moving towards becoming a global reference.
"Pará is today the largest cocoa producer in Brazil, with over 229,000 hectares planted. This did not happen by chance. It is the result of a lot of work, investment, and partnership. This fair shows that the State believes in its productive vocations," said Francisco Neto, acting secretary of the Secretariat of Agricultural Development and Fisheries (Sedap).
The event was officially launched this Thursday (22), at a coffee for journalists at the headquarters of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Pará (Faepa). The meeting also brought together authorities, technicians, entrepreneurs, and producers.
"We want to make the largest event in the world related to cocoa. We have internationally awarded seeds, and this shows that we make the best. This excellence is only possible thanks to the support of the Government, which strengthens production with land regularization and sanitary security actions," highlights Carlos Xavier, president of Faepa.
The fair is to showcase Pará's potential in cocoa and Amazonian flower production, highlighting the State Government's actions in support of family farming, research, and bioeconomy. The presence of local, national, and international brands is confirmed, in addition to technical panels on sustainable production, sanitary security, and innovative production chains.
The Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Pará (Emater) is one of the event's partners, assisting in obtaining and maintaining this position through monitoring the crop and developing projects to enable rural financing. "Emater plays a strategic role by offering technical assistance, promoting sustainable production, and supporting the organization of farmers to access markets and add value to their products," highlights Emater's president, Joniel Abreu.
The state has 32,000 cocoa producers, distributed over more than 229,000 hectares of planted area. According to data from the Agricultural Defense Agency of Pará (Adepará), the municipality of Medicilândia leads production in the State, with over 44,000 tons per year, representing about 34.69% of the state total. For Jamir Macedo, the agency's general director, the State's role is to ensure that this production is increasingly recognized in Brazil and worldwide.
"Our mission is to closely monitor the rural producer, ensuring the quality and health of the production. We will be present at the fair with a booth, providing assistance, clarifying doubts, and showcasing our actions in defense of Pará's production," guarantees the head of the department.
In addition to commercial opportunities, the Fair will be a dive into the flavors, aromas, and colors of the Amazon. A celebration of the land, work, and culture that springs from the hands of those who live and transform Pará. Cocoa and açaí producer, with a farm in São Francisco do Pará, Márcia Nóbrega, emphasizes that this event is the recognition of a journey.
"It is very important because it brings us visibility. We will take our products, show that we make quality cocoa, from planting to the final chocolate. The fair helps us enter the markets," concludes Márcia, who will be one of the exhibitors at the fair.
Flor Pará – Alongside chocolate, flowers and ornamental plants will have a prominent space with the parallel event Flor Pará, which values the productive chain of floriculture and emphasizes native species developed by large and small producers. The Flor Pará event will highlight the productive chain of ornamental plants and Amazonian flowers. Flor Pará values the growth of floriculture in the region, emphasizing the cultivation of native species developed by large producers and also by family farmers.
Deusa Aquino, an ornamental plant producer in the Tenoné neighborhood - in Belém - considers the event a milestone for the sector. "It gives us visibility to what we produce. It is the opportunity we have to show the beauty and value of our flowers, and this is only possible with the support of the State Government, Emater, and Sedap," she concludes.
