Atual realidade da produção das fibras de juta e malva nas regiões de varzea no Município de Parintins - AM

Abstract

Natural or vegetable fibers are considered a renewable resource and have advantages over synthetic fibers, as they are low cost, quite resistant and easy to degrade and are not toxic, many used in industrial industries, in the case of jute, which has Asian origin, and was introduced in Brazil to be used in the production of sacks, which served as packaging for the transport of grains, mainly by the people of São Paulo who were great producers and exporters of coffee. As for mallow fiber, as well as jute, it is widely used in the manufacture of textile products, there is not much information about it as to its origin, but it is a plant well adapted to lowland conditions, as in the state of Amazonas and Pará, regions with a hot and humid climate that is conducive to its development. Jute and mallow vegetable fibers leveraged the economy of Parintins for several decades, but with the bankruptcy of the local companies that commercialized this product, it directly affected the producers and everyone who somehow depended on this service for their livelihood. However, even today, even if in a precarious way, there is still the commercialization of fibers in the municipality. Thus, the present work aims to know the current reality of jute and mallow fibers in the floodplain regions near the municipality of Parintins, state of Amazonas, and if there is any incentive on the part of the authorities, as well as, how many people besides the producers are involved in the process, and what is the final destination of this product. The research was carried out from June 2021 to April 2022, through informal conversation with farmers from regions close to the municipality, who informed that the product because of several factors, including the purchase of seeds, for a high price , was causing production to be in decline for today's reality, but with the distribution of seed by the state government, for some producers, it made fiber production improve, however, not all were benefited with such distribution and had to buy seeds in exchange for fibers. The riverside people involved in this activity reported that despite all the obstacles that affect fiber productivity, it is still worth investing in this activity, as it is during this period that income improves, achieving a period of better income for the family.