As dinâmicas do circuito do açal (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) conduzidos por agricultores familiares do povoado de Ruy Vaz, Axixá - Maranhão

Abstract

The açaí tree (Euterpe oleracea) is a typical plant in the Amazon region, and Pará is the largest producer in Brazil. The pulp is extracted from the fruit, a product of great socio-economic importance that has been gaining market share nationally and internationally. In Maranhão, fruit production, extraction and processing activities are a way of generating employment and income for many families. The study aimed to characterize the production and sale of açaí(Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in the Ruy Vaz community, Axixá - MA. Primary and secondary data were used. To obtain the primary data, two semi-structured questionnaires were applied to producers and retailers, totaling 25 producers/retailers. The average age was 40 years and with a good level of education, only 4% said they had not studied. The production of the fruit is made by a single producer and the others still maintain the extraction in their own areas or not. It was also verified that the producer is also present in the commercialization through the sale of the fruit in natura or in the form of wine and/or economer. The sale takes place in the house, on the street, on the roadside or in commercial establishments. The fruits originate in the community itself, in neighboring municipalities, but mainly in Pará. Prices depend on the harvest and off-season, like all agricultural products. It is concluded that the sale of açaí in the community generates work and income, but it needs a better presentation of commercial points, support from public agencies, mainly in the encouragement of credit and technical assistance to increase local production and not depend so much on production from Pará