The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) inaugurated a new unit in Nossa Senhora do Livramento, in the Baixada Cuiabana region, on Saturday (21), to boost the development of rural communities in Mato Grosso. The Mixed Research and Innovation Unit (Umipi) will be installed in an area belonging to the Union where the experimental fish farming station of the Mato Grosso Research, Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Empaer) operated. The presence of the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, is expected. Embrapa in Baixada Cuiabana will work on research and technology transfer focused on a region with challenging characteristics for agriculture, such as soil conditions, low altitude and high temperatures throughout the year. :: Food security The focus will be on activities such as fruit growing, cassava cultivation, fish farming and horticulture, as well as agroforestry production systems and crop-livestock-forestry integration. The head of Embrapa Agrossilvipastoril, Laurimar Vendrusculo, explains that this unit will assist a population that corresponds to 30% of Mato Grosso, in a region inhabited by quilombola and indigenous communities. With this initiative, an increase in local production of fruits and vegetables and fish farming is expected to provide food security. "The Baixada Cuiabana region encompasses cities with a very low HDI (Human Development Index). Stimulating PANC [non-conventional food plants] and community gardens is our objective in order to empower our producers and strengthen cooperatives," she said. :: Partnerships The mixed unit consists of an operational model in which there is cooperation between institutions through the sharing of infrastructure and human and financial resources. Memoranda of understanding have already been signed with the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), the State University of Mato Grosso (Unemat), the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso (IFMT), the National Rural Learning Service of Mato Grosso (Senar-MT), the National Institute for Pantanal Research (INPP), and the Federation of Agricultural Workers of the State of Mato Grosso (Fetagri-MT) for collaboration in the area.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.