Feed aggregator

Une nouvelle qui risque de décevoir de nombreux Algériens : le gouvernement du Québec a décidé de suspendre temporairement deux de ses principaux programmes d’immigration […]

L’article Le Québec met un frein à l’immigration : Quelles conséquences pour les candidats algériens ? est apparu en premier sur .

Die vierköpfige Familie Raga Micol lebt in einem der am schlimmsten verwüsteten Vororte von Valencia. Am Abend des Sturms und der Flut bangten sie um ihre Verwandten. Nun klappern sie einen nach dem anderen ab und hoffen, dass alle gesund sind.

The headquarters of the Capribom agro-industrial cooperative with its roofs covered with photovoltaic panels, in Monteiro, northeastern Brazil. Credit: Courtesy of Capribom

By Carlos Müller
MONTEIRO, Brazil, Nov 1 2024 (IPS)

“Ixe! If it wasn’t for solar energy, we would have closed down, you can be sure. We had to stop due to the pandemic on 15 March 2020, but the energy costs were fixed,” said Erika Cazuza, administrative and financial manager of the Brazilian Cooperative of Rural Producers of Monteiro (Capribom).

Ixe is a word used in the Northeast region of Brazil, which means Virgin and reflects its deep-rooted religious culture.“The solar system caused a 90% reduction in energy costs, which guaranteed operations, even during the pandemic”: Fabricio de Souza Ferreira.

Monteiro, with just over 33,000 people, is a municipality in the driest part of the semi-arid ecoregion, with an area of 1.03 million square kilometres covering several states in the Northeast and a population of 27 million, where rainfall averages only about 600 millimetres per year.

The semi-arid region is also affected by severe droughts that can last for several years, as happened in 2012-2017 in most of the ecoregion. Located on a plateau, at an altitude of 600 metres, Monteiro has a pleasant climate in its 992 square kilometres.

Thanks largely to Capribom, Monteiro, where extensive livestock farming has been the main economic activity since the 18th century, has gone from ranking 126th in gross domestic product (GDP) to 14th among the municipalities of the state of Paraiba, of which it is the largest.

Erika Cazuza, administrative and financial manager of Capribom. Credit: Carlos Müller / IPS

When talking about solar energy, Cazuza was referring to the 316 panels and other photovoltaic generation equipment installed in 2018 on the roofs of the cooperative’s plant headquarters, in the district of Fazenda Morro Fechado, a transition zone between the rural area and the urban centre of Monteiro.

The investment was made with non-refundable resources from an International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) loan to the government of Paraíba, equivalent to US$62,970, with a counterpart of US$1,830 from the cooperative itself.

“The solar system caused a 90% reduction in energy costs, which guaranteed operations, even during the pandemic,” the cooperative’s president, Fabrício de Souza Ferreira, told IPS. These costs used to be as high as US$2,280 dollars a month.

Goats are better adapted to the semi-arid biome and family farmers have improved their herds by crossing rustic breeds with others that produce more meat and milk in this ecoregion of northeastern Brazil. Credit: Carlos Müller / IPS

Savings brought trucks

The savings enabled the purchase of a truck for distribution of products, which was previously carried out by hired transporters.

Now, the cooperative has six trucks for milk collection and product distribution (yoghurt, cheese, butter, dulce de leche, cottage cheese and others), which have grown from six to 20, with different flavours and presentations.

In recent years, the governments of the Northeastern states have been promoting the production and consumption of goat cheeses. Between 23 and 26 October, the Paraíba Cheese and Cachaça Salon was held in the Paraiba capital, João Pessoa. Capribom presented 12 products and all of them won medals: eight gold and four silver.

Capribom faced great difficulties when the covid-19 pandemic hit the region and the public procurement programmes for food from family farming were suspended for four months.

“Before the pandemic, we had 400 members, four of whom died. With the pandemic, the number of those still supplying milk dropped to 250 because we were still working and could not leave them stranded, although all our employees got sick,” said an emotional Ferreira.

What sustained production then was the supply of milk to the army and the emerging local private market. Deliveries to schools resumed after a few months. Despite the suspension of classes, students still picked up their processed meals.

As the pandemic passed, recovery was vigorous. Today, Capribom, founded in 2006, has 583 registered members and 80 members awaiting approval of their applications by the members’ assembly.

Solar energy enabled dramatic savings in electricity that allowed the Capribom dairy cooperative to buy its first truck. Now it has six trucks collecting milk from producers and distributing their dairy products. Credit: Carlos Müller / IPS

Increased production

In September this year, the dairy plant was processing 18,000 litres of milk per day, of which 12,000 were cow milk and 6,000 were goat milk. Some 15% was produced in three settlements (communities of farmers settled by the agrarian reform) in the region.

Before the pandemic, there were 10,000 litres in total, which in 2020 was reduced to 7,000, of which 3,000 were from goats, explained Ferreira during a tour of the plant.

Initially, the solar installation generated surplus energy, which was used in the milk coolers at the collection centres. The recent expansion required the installation of another 100 solar panels and related equipment, now with the cooperative’s own resources.

“We still have a deficit because the new machines, cooler, pasteuriser and yoghurt maker (3,000 litres) consume a lot of energy, but they have reduced losses. We will need 50 more”, said Ferreira, with satisfaction. Expanding production will require another cold room and more energy, he adds.

In fact, turnover has multiplied. Before the pandemic, Capribom sold the equivalent of two million litres a year; now it’s around seven million.

And the results directly benefit the cooperative’s members, who are guaranteed placement of their production and receive the equivalent of US$0.40 per litre delivered, while other buyers pay only US$0.32.

The president of the Capribom cooperative, Fabrício de Souza Ferreira, with milk treatment equipment. Credit: Carlos Müller / IPS

Capribom’s achievements do not only benefit its members. Although cooperatives in Brazil are exempt from some taxes, the agribusiness contributes around 25% of the revenue of the municipality of Monteiro.

In addition to tax benefits, Brazilian cooperatives have preferential treatment in public tenders.

This allows family farming cooperatives to place their products with stable prices and terms, but has bureaucratic drawbacks and relies on public policies.

Among these initiatives is the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE), which reaches 41 million students in public schools throughout the country, with resources from the federal government transferred to states and municipalities.

This is also the case of the Food Acquisition Programme, through which the government buys food produced by family farming and transfers it to public and welfare entities and so-called popular restaurants.

Public procurement used to absorb 90% of Capribom’s production, a percentage that is now down to 70%. Reducing dependence on government programmes and expanding its market are two of the cooperative’s objectives.

“With other family farming cooperatives, we created a central cooperative, called Nordestina, to jointly sell everything from dairy products to fruit pulp, tubers, free-range chickens and eggs, which allows us to reach more markets with reduced costs,” Ferreira said.

Wesley Cristyan Batista da Silva, a graduate in agroecology who has been working for two months on the evaluation of milk delivered by producers at the Capribom agroindustrial plant. Credit: Carlos Müller / IPS

Slaughterhouse recovery

The most important project for the end of 2024 is to put into operation the Goat and Sheep Slaughterhouse of Monteiro, located next to Capribom’s own slaughterhouse.

This agro-industry was built by the national government in 2000 and handed over to a consortium of municipalities. The management contract expired and the facilities were never put into operation. They were looted or became scrap metal.

“In the current government, technicians visited us and saw the potential. We negotiated with the state government and the mayor’s office. The national government passed the facilities to the state, which passed them on to the mayor’s office, and the mayor’s office gave Capribom a transfer of use,” Ferreira said.

The cooperative recovered part of the equipment. The government of Paraíba is acquiring new cold rooms and installing them on site.

With a capacity to slaughter 120 small animals daily (goats and sheep, and eventually pigs), the slaughterhouse will be the only one in Paraíba complying with the sanitary standards required by Brazilian legislation and will be able to participate in public procurement programmes.

Deboned cuts of sheep and goat meat will be sent to schools. Whole pieces will be sent to other entities, but Ferreira does not lose sight of the market for special cuts. “It’s a small market, but it’s a gourmet type market,” he explained.

Capribom has 50 employees, and another 30 will work in the slaughterhouse when it starts to operate normally.

According to administrative director Cazuza, 80% of the employees are children of the cooperative members.

This is the case of Wesley Cristyan Batista da Silva, who has a degree in agro-ecology and has been working for two months evaluating the milk delivered by the producers to the dairy and providing them with technical assistance.

Historically, young people from family farming emigrated from the semi-arid region due to a lack of study and work opportunities.

Da Silva is part of a different generation. He has a university degree and combines collaboration in the family property with employment in the cooperative. “Am I satisfied? Yes. It was what I wanted and what I intend to continue doing,” he told IPS confidently.

Les chargements du pétrole brut nigérien s'enchainent via la plateforme pétrolière de Sèmè-Kpodi. Après un 4e chargement de 155 000 m3 avec le navire citerne Front Coral le mercredi 16 octobre 2024, deux autres navires sont annoncés dans les eaux béninoises dès ce dimanche 03 novembre.

Le Nordic Harrier et le Front Crystal sont les deux autres navires annoncés dans les eaux béninoises pour des chargements du pétrole brut nigérien. Le premier selon nos sources, est attendu dans les eaux béninoises dès ce dimanche 03 novembre 2024. Il sera suivi du Front Crystal le mercredi 13 novembre prochain. Les volumes de chargement à bord de ces deux navires ne sont pas encore connus.
L'arrivée du Nordic Harrier et du Front Crystal porte à 06 le nombre de chargement du brut nigérien via la plateforme de Sèmè-Kpodji, depuis le démarrage des opérations d'exportation. Ces chargements renforcent l'importance du Pipeline Bénin-Niger et la coopération entre les deux pays, mise à l'épreuve avec la dernière crise.

F. A. A.

Beim neuen Inster bricht Hyundai gleich mit mehreren Kleinwagen-Gesetzen: mit viel Platz auf kleiner Fläche, sehr ordentlicher Ausstattung und einem Design, das alles andere als langweilig daherkommt.

Hleb Harbuz kehrt in die Schweiz zurück. In der Vergangenheit einst bei Kriens-Luzern und GC Amicitia Zürich aktiv, spielt der Belarusse neu für St. Otmar St. Gallen.

Des problèmes techniques ont affecté vendredi le fonctionnement de la banque en ligne ainsi que les opérations au guichet.

Nachdem Donald Trump einem rassistischen Witz über Puerto Rico eine Bühne geboten hat, bekommt er die Wut viele Latinos in Amerika zu spüren. Darunter auch: Jennifer Lopez.

Vize-Olympiasieger Alex Fiva macht sich als Schweiz-Amerikaner für Kamala Harris stark. Zudem spricht sich der FIS-Athletensprecher für eine revolutionäre Änderung im Skisport aus.

Hohe Hecken, schlimme Prügeleien und Drohungen: In der Schweiz sorgen Nachbarschaftsstreits immer wieder für jahrelange Fehden. Nicht selten landen die Fälle sogar vor Gericht. Blick zeigt, welche Raufereien unter Nachbarn in den letzten Jahren völlig entgleisten.

Duma Boko is elected the country's first president not from the ruling party, in power for 58 years.

Duma Boko is elected the country's first president not from the ruling party, in power for 58 years.

Duma Boko is elected the country's first president not from the ruling party, in power for 58 years.

Euronews: Arnold Schwarzenegger bejelentette, hogy Kamala Harrisre fog szavazni az amerikai elnökválasztáson. Kalifornia korábbi republikánus kormányzója az X-en írt egy hosszú posztot, amelyben kifejtette, hogy miért támogatja a demokrata jelöltet annak ellenére, hogy "nem igazán szokott támogatni senkit", és "a legtöbb politikusban nem bízik".

Die Litauer wollen Macron beim Wort nehmen. Nach der Entsendung von nordkoreanischen Soldaten in die Ukraine soll auch Europa über Truppen an der Front nachdenken. Wie realistisch – und vor allem wie gefährlich – ist dieses Szenario? Blick analysiert die Lage.

Ein Hangrutsch auf einem Deponiegelände in Glarus Nord führte am Donnerstagabend zu erheblichen Schäden. Der Linthkanal und der Seeweg wurden verschüttet, Personen kamen nicht zu Schaden. Die Behörden überwachen die Situation weiterhin.

Die langjährige persönliche Mitarbeiterin Brigitte Hauser-Süess wäre eigentlich längst pensioniert, Bundespräsidentin Viola Amherd aber will keinesfalls auf sie verzichten. Wer führt hier eigentlich wen? Alt Bundesrat Christoph Blocher hat eine klare Meinung dazu.

Nyugat-Franciaországban, Poitiers városában csütörtök este egy kábítószer-kereskedelemhez köthető lövöldözés tömegverekedéssé fajult, amelyben a francia hatóságok szerint akár 600 ember is részt vehetett – írta a Hirado.hu.

Grammy-Gewinner Young Thug ist wieder auf freiem Fuss. Der Musiker hat sich vor Gericht in Atlanta schuldig bekannt und wurde zu einer langen Bewährungsstrafe verurteilt.

Les idées de Piaget sont restées pertinentes parce qu'elles éclairent la manière dont les enfants acquièrent des connaissances.