Project can improve cassava production in Piauí, Brazil

A research project can change the profile of production and quality of cassava (Manihot esculenta) in Piauí in a few years. The start for the construction and execution of the work was given this week, in Teresina, with a technical meeting between managers of Embrapa Meio-Norte, researchers, analysts, technicians from the National Service for Industrial Learning (Senai) and directors of the Brazilian Industry Association of Bakery and Confectionery (ABIP). These institutions, in addition to Sebrae and Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura (Cruz das Almas/Ba), will make this pilot project possible. It was decided that, at first, the actions will reach the greater Teresina, a region that brings together 13 municipalities in Piauí and more Timon, in Maranhão. The region occupies an area of 11,300 square kilometers and has almost two million inhabitants, according to the IBGE. In total, 13 municipalities represent 37% of the population of Piauí. “The demand for cassava starch to feed the ...