Beginning of pine nut harvest brings prospects for increased production
Agrolink – Seane Lennon
Published on 02/04/2024 at 23:41h.
Dear user.
Fill out the form below to submit the page.
Photo: Pixabay
The pine nut harvest season in Santa Catarina began on April 1st, with an initial production perspective of 5.7 thousand tons, representing an increase of 30% compared to the previous year, according to an estimate by Epagri’s Regional Management in Lagos. This projection was based on a survey carried out with local producers. The harvest period extends until July, during which the initial estimate may be revised depending on the progress of the harvest. The information was released by the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock of Santa Catarina.
The municipality of Panel, considered the largest producer of pine nuts in the state, expects to harvest around 2,200 tons this harvest. However, according to José Márcio Lehmann, regional manager at Epagri in Lages, this quantity is not very significant, considering that production was quite low in the previous year. “We hope that the price pays off for farmers, who at the beginning of the harvest are receiving around R$6.00 per kilo,” he highlighted.
José Márcio believes that fluctuations in production are related to climatic factors. “A pine cone takes about 32 months to mature. Therefore, climatic conditions over three years affect the quantity and quality of the seeds,” he explained.
The manager highlighted the importance of pine nuts for farmers in Serra Catarinense, noting that, of the 16 thousand rural producer families in the region, at least 30% of them have pine nuts as one of the main products that contribute to the annual income of their properties.
