Project document

Poço Preto Community
14. The Poço Preto community consists of three main properties that were subsequently subdivided. The stream (Riacho da Cachorra) that bisects the community is intermittent. A large part of the vegetation was removed and pastures were planted, as well as corn and cactus for animal feed and corn and beans for consumption. The community produces charcoal with the Caatinga vegetation and water is supplied by tank trucks. There is need for intervention with techniques for collection and storage of water and use of forest resources. There are also reports of brick kilns in the community, which further affect the remaining forest and clay deposits. During the PPG the community was classified under category 2 due to its demands on water conservation techniques to combat desertification processes related to overgrazing, and agricultural machinery misuses on crops areas.
15. Properties have an average size of 15 ha. and primarily use family labor. It used to be customary for the community to organize collective work projects (bees) and land use technology was rustic. Now there has been change in agricultural and livestock practices, as well as the instruments used in these activities, allowing for greater autonomy, but weakening collective action regarding land use. Land use in the community is mainly for livestock, either by direct grazing, or by planting forage. Nowadays corn is planted for making silage and forage cactus is planted for feeding livestock. Corn and beans are planted to meet family needs. The pressure exerted by the cultivation of corn has led to the use of agricultural machinery, both for soil preparation and crop harvesting, which consequently involved greater use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Today the main activity is raising dairy cattle, with daily production between 15 and 50 liters per cow. The milk is sold directly on the property and is taken on motorcycles to Monte Alegre. Milk processing is not done on properties because of water shortage in quantity and quality, although there are two artisanal cheese factories that sell their products in Monte Alegre. Other activities include raising pigs, sheep and chickens in enclosed areas.
16. In this scenario, the project will introduce technologies for collection and storage of water such as runoff cisterns, dry stone dams, forest-grazing and agroforestry systems, in addition to recovery of degraded areas and improved domestic stoves in households that depend on local collection of firewood along, as well as productive backyards. These areas pre-selected for field activities are justified by the occurrence of impacts cited in PAE-SE. In the case of Canindé de San Francisco, degradation is a result of intense and disproportionate mechanization, which along with the mishandling of water has caused salinization of arable land. In the Jacaré-Curituba settlement, the system of flood irrigation and neglect of water management has caused salinization in some areas.