The Agriculture Commission (CRA) approved, this Wednesday (10), the project that creates a national policy for the sustainable management, planting, extraction, consumption, commercialization and transformation of pequi and other fruits native to the Cerrado. Already approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the PL 1.970/2019 It received a favorable vote from the rapporteur, Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS), and will now be analyzed by the Plenary.
The project prohibits the felling and predatory use of pequi trees, except when authorized by the competent body, in cases where the tree is dead or dry, when it is hindering the implementation of an agroforestry project or when it is in an area intended for public utility service.
According to the proposal, the pequi management policy aims, among others, to encourage the preservation of areas where pequi trees and other products native to the Cerrado occur; identify traditional communities that make a living from collecting these fruits; research folklore related to the theme and promote cultural events in order to stimulate tourism; encourage trade in these products and develop quality and origin seals.
According to a survey by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the national extraction of pequi was more than 74 thousand tons in 2021, with Minas Gerais being the state responsible for more than half of the production. Based on a publication by the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Soraya highlights the cultural and socioeconomic importance of pequi and other fruits from the Cerrado.
“The pequi is a symbol of the Central-West Region, but there are many plant species that have cultural, socioeconomic and environmental importance. Among those cited by UFMS are several popularly known fruits, such as araticum, buriti, butiá, cagaita, cajá, jabuticaba, genipapo, mangaba, quince, pitanga and pitomba”, says the senator.
Agência Senado (Reproduction authorized upon citation from Agência Senado)