The Municipal Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (SMAPA) of Caxias do Sul promotes, in partnership with Emater/RS – Ascar, the 1st Regional Artisan Cheese Contest. Entries are open to cheese producers from all over the region and can be done until February 15th..
The objective of the Contest is to encourage the improvement of the quality of the cheeses produced in the region. “What is sought is to award products and their producers that stand out, valuing artisanal cheese production, disseminating to the population the know-how of Serra Gaúcha and Campos de Cima da Serra”, explains the head of SMAPA, Rudimar Menegotto .
Categories
The judging of the entered cheeses will take place on the 24th of February at Cevitis (formerly Fepagro), in Fazenda Souza. The evaluators are technicians and professionals recognized in the market, specially invited for the occasion. They will judge the entries in three categories: Colonial Artisanal Cheeses, Serrano Artisan Cheeses and Other Artisanal Cheeses and Authorial Artisanal Cheeses.
award
The winners of each category will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies. The best cheese among the Golds will win the Super Gold Trophy. The award will be given during the Festa das Colheitas, at the Regional Seminar “Valuation of artisanal cheeses and family agroindustries in Caxias do Sul”, which will take place on March 3, at Bolicho dos Piardi, located in the Pavilhão da Festa da Uva.
Family agroindustries of artisanal cheeses from the Serrana region and Campos de Cima da Serra do RS can participate, provided that their products are subject to some type of official inspection (federal, state and/or municipal, as well as their equivalences). Family agroindustries will be able to enter a maximum of one sample of cheese per category.
Registrations
Entries are free and must be completed by February 15th, at the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (SMAPA), located at Rua Moreira César, 1686, Pio X neighborhood, or at the Municipal Offices of Emater/RS – Ascar, by completing the registration form and withdrawing the regulation.
Cheese samples (whole pieces of at least 1 kg) must be delivered to SMPA on the 22nd and 23rd of February. More information by calling (54) 3290-3804. The Contest is sponsored by Sicredi Pioneira.
