Revista O POVO Cariri Novembro 2014

MADE IN CARIRI

Items are sold in the domestic market and exported to other parts of the country, moving the economy of the region

Sabryna Esmeraldo

With over 30 years of tradition, Cachaça Kariri is an example of the productive and commercial potential of Cariri. Produced in Barbalha, the drink has almost all its production for sale in cities like São Paulo. Because The company plans to expand to a larger head office, which will also result in an increase of the number of liters produced daily.

In Crato, on the other hand, a cooperative of milk producers have been beneficial to the local economy for the past four years. Before, the milk was supplied directly by producers at the point of sale. Today consumers have a pasteurized product, process done in the Cooperative Association of Small Milk Producers of Sítio Malhada. In addition to the benefits related to food security for customers, producers gain from a larger and stable price paid by the cooperative. And the city gains with the fact that the capital invested continues to circulate in the local market.

In Juazeiro do Norte Central Market, we can find a little of both. The sale of leather goods, for example, is geared for both rural workers, who seek the product resistance and durability, as for tourists, as the pilgrims who flock to the area at certain times of the year. Sellers as Antonio Pinheiro Sobrinho, who is in the Market since its opening, guarantees: the items have good output for the domestic and foreign markets.

Local market

Payment difficulties, very low prices and milk contamination risks were some of the problems experienced by Crato milk producers. In order to rectify this situation, four years ago, the Cooperative Association of Small Milk Producers of Sítio Malhada was established. The idea is simple: the cooperative purchases milk from small producers for a better and stable price, performs the process of cleaning and pasteurization of the product and resells in Crato trade.

"When we started, the milk producers were paid R$ 0.55 per liter. Today, they receive R$ 1.15 per liter. Here, they have the delivery of milk guaranteed, and we make the sale", explains Antonio José Albuquerque, milk producer, founder and member of the cooperative. In addition, other associated producers work in the cooperative, which today has 18 producers delivering milk and receives about 1.000 liters of milk per day. "Without it, it would not be possible, none of the small farmers would send their milk to Crato", says Francisco de Assis Leite, partner and producer of the Association of Producers of Settlers of Malhada Farm.

Result of financing provided by Project São José, conducted by the Government of Ceará State, which seeks to have the family farm as a source of products for school meals, the cooperative also has part of its production for that destination and has plans to help the Fome Zero project . Besides milk type C, are also produced cheeses, yogurt and cream. Everything is sold in Crato’s market.

According to Albuquerque, consumers approve the quality of products and some people come from Juazeiro do Norte to buy the Malhada milk in Crato. "That is good, because that money starts circulating in the city", he points out. Currently, the president of the cooperative, José Helenivaldo Ribeiro de Brito, distributes Malhada products in 36 retail outlets in the city.

Exportation

Since 1971, the Cachaça Kariri is produced in Barbalha. The production, which was once intended for consumption in the region, today is almost entirely export-oriented, mostly to São Paulo. "Early on, we sold a lot in the region. Today, 90% of production is sold out of the state and 10% go to the Cariri trade to maintain the culture and tradition", estimates Shairo Monteiro Garcia, who is in charge of the company with his father, Antonio Monteiro Garcia.

Currently, the factory produces 3.600 liters of cachaça a day, an amount that will rise to 6.000 liters per day after the inauguration of the new head office, next year. "But we will produce more, 10.000 liters per day", says Shairo. To São Paulo, about 72.000 liters are sold per month, varying with the time of year. In Cariri, the cachaça can be found in places like Juazeiro do Norte Central Market. "Tourists, whenever they come, look for the product in Juazeiro do Norte or search with us here. People coming from out of state prefers Kariri", celebrates Shairo.

With the new head office, new sales outlets in other locations should also be explored by the company. "The project is trying to expand the company, meet other markets such as Fortaleza, Minas Gerais etc., and try to reactivate the markets we no longer meets", Shairo emphasizes on the company's plans, which also include water trading.

Varied clients

Antônio comes to Juazeiro do Norte Central Market at 7:30 a.m. every day, where he works until about 4:00 p.m.. Seller of leather goods, Antonio Pinheiro Sobrinho works on Market since its opened. "When the market opened in 1975, 1976 or so. I have always worked with leather, I worked with saddle, but today only with bags and sandals", he says.

According to Antônio, the products, generally made in Cariri, always sell. "People from out of town and from city buy it. It is a commodity that is for rural worker, but the people from Fortaleza buy a lot. And we have the pilgrimage, the pilgrims come here almost all year round, they always buy", said. The products are also sought for resale in places like Piauí. According to the seller, farm workers, in general, seek for leather products due to durability and strength of the material.