Initiative dumps four tons of seeds in the Atlantic Forest

A joint action involving social movements and public bodies will dump, in an area of ​​67 hectares of the Quedas do Iguaçu reserve, in Paraná, about four tons of seeds of the juçara palm, an endangered tree, popularly known as Açaí da Mata Atlântica . The seeds will be dropped from a Federal Highway Police (PRF) helicopter into the legal reserve of the Dom Tomás Balduíno agrarian reform community and onto the slopes of the Iguaçu River – the flooded area that was established after the construction of the dam at the Salto Osório Plant. . Currently, more than 2,500 families live in the region, which, in the past, was degraded after periods of use by a company for the monoculture of pine and eucalyptus. The seeds that will be dumped have “high germination potential” when disseminated in their natural habitat, informed the Ministry of Justice (MJ), in a note. Palmeira-Juçara – Parque Ecológico Imigrantes/disclosure Extinction The illegal extraction of the heart of palm from the Juçara palm has put the species at risk of extinction, as it does not regrow. The fruit of this palm tree, however, which has a smooth bark, dark violet color and a fine pulp surrounding the seed, similar to the açaí from the Amazon, can be marketed. According to the MJ, pulp production and processing in the Dom Tomás Balduíno community reaches three tons of pulp per year and has the potential to increase: “When the families have the necessary pulping and storage equipment, the production potential will be five to six tons. “Rich in antioxidants, the pulp represents an important food for traditional communities, but it is also used in the production of ice cream, flour, sweets and juices”, he added. According to the ministry, the initiative, implemented during World Environment Week, had the participation of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra), Itaipu Binacional, Agroecology Fund (AEF), Federal University of Fronteira Sul (UFFS), City Hall of Quedas do Iguaçu, City Council of the city and Instituto Água e Terra (IAT).

Agência Brasil