As the largest producer of buffalo in Brazil, Pará will host dairy tournaments in July supported by Sedap
The competitions will take place in the Marajó archipelago and will be held in the municipalities of Soure, Salvaterra, and Cachoeira do Arari, from July 1 to 4.
In order to promote buffalo farming in Pará - the state with the largest buffalo herd in the country (684 thousand heads according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) - two buffalo dairy tournaments will be held simultaneously in the Marajó archipelago: one state-level (Marajó Buffalo, in its tenth edition) and the other specific to the municipality of Cachoeira do Arari, which will take place for the fourth consecutive year. The events will be supported by the State Secretariat for Agricultural Development and Fisheries (Sedap) and will occur from July 1 to 4.
The tournament in Cachoeira do Arari will take place in the Vila de Retiro Grande, which has a significant dairy basin. The municipalities of Soure and Salvaterra have also recorded an increase in their buffalo milk production each year, as reported by João Rocha, who is the president of the Pará Association of Buffalo Breeders (APCB) and owner of Fazenda Paraíso, located in that municipality.
According to him, eight municipalities with 12 properties have already registered for the state tournament, with 15 producers participating in the competition. "The competition will take place on the property itself. The animal does not leave. It stays in its natural environment, and then we bring the inspectors to each one to monitor the milking, thus avoiding transportation costs and adaptation of the buffaloes to a single location, as was the case at the beginning of the tournament," Rocha explained.
The milking of the animals will take place at two different times: at 6 AM and at 6 PM, according to João Rocha's information. "We do not want to interfere with the management of the property, that is, we do not want to alter the routine of the properties. So, the twelve-hour interval must be strictly followed, and thus we do two milkings a day," he detailed. At the time of collection, he added, the area where the milking is done is isolated.
Incentive- Sedap, as a fostering institution, supports the realization of events that encourage buffalo farming in Pará, as noted by veterinarian Augusto Peralta, who is part of the Animal Production Coordination (Copan) team of the institution.
"It arose because of the support that the Government provides to the producer in terms of access to technology, through this support and providing conditions for the rural producer, especially the Marajoara, to have access. With this, we can achieve quality, with a higher milk production that can reach an average of 15 liters of milk," he emphasized.
As the veterinarian explained, Pará continues to be the largest producer of buffalo in Brazil. "This is due to a lot of work, not only from Sedap but also from other state agencies, such as the Pará Agricultural Defense Agency (Adepará), which provided the conditions for us to have quality buffalo, a larger herd, along with the second largest cattle herd currently."
According to the most recent data published by IBGE (2023), Pará has about 684 thousand heads and is the largest producer in the country, with absolute prominence from the Marajó archipelago. The second largest herd is in Amapá, with 326 thousand.
The Dairy Tournament is an event promoted by Fazenda Paraíso, the Rural Association of Livestock of Pará (ARPP), and the Pará Association of Buffalo Breeders (APCB), with support from the Faepa/Senar System and Com Búfalo - agricultural advisory.
Registrations - Those who wish to register should contact through the number (91) 98063-9145.
