Porto Alegre - This weekend the minister of Agrarian Development, Miguel Rossetto, officially inaugurated the Second Butiá Festa, in the town of Giruá, Rio Grande do Sul. Butiá is a kind of palm tree that is used for many purposes. The fair is an opportunity for the minister to stimulate family farming that protects the environment, preserves local culture and strengthens local communities.

The Butiá Fair exhibits culinary goods made from butiá, such as liquors, juices and sweets, as well as handcrafts made using parts of the plant.

The Giruá region consists of small farms that work with soybeans, wheat, corn, oats, sorghum, rice, canola, rye, peas and sunflowers. Farmers there also have dairy farms and raise beef cattle and pork. (AB)