Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Project (ATER) with farming families in the Nascimento Settlement, Pernambuco

an experience report

Abstract

The objective of this text to present the result of the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (TARE) activities carried out by the Instituto Agronômico de Pernambuco (IPA) in the Nascimento Settlement between 2012 and 2015, located in Belém do São Francisco, State of Pernambuco, and composed of 12 farming families that, in their entirety, make up the Associação dos Agricultores Familiares Nascimento. In 2011, these rural workers joined the Programa Nacional do Crédito Fundiário and won the right to acquire their first land of their own. TARE activities were developed by a multidisciplinary technical team from IPA formed by rural extension workers, agricultural technicians, agronomists, veterinarians and civil engineers. The rural extension workers carried out the Participatory Rural Diagnosis with the participation of the settled families, making it possible to identify the interests and aptitudes of the community. Socio-productive projects and investments were developed, such as the structuring of a social center, investment in irrigated onion cultivation, the implementation of sheep farming and the construction of masonry houses with hydraulic and electrical installations. The settlers showed a high level of satisfaction with the results achieved, as well as showing interest in expanding the community area for planting and raising animals.