The Mayor of Famalicão, Paulo Cunha, affirms that the traffic queues that today registered in the arteries next to the fair, where the food market remains in operation, are “due to the fact that paving works are taking place on avenues surrounding the Parque da Feira ”.
The mayor considers, in a note published on his Facebook page, that “the images of an intense agglomeration of cars at the Famalicão fair are traveling the country, conveying the idea that the fair is chaotic and that there is no respect for the state of emergency ”, which will not correspond to the truth.
“The fair is operating exceptionally with the food market. Of the 800 traders who normally attend the fair, there are 80, spread over 10,000 square meters. People who shop for food at fairs and markets have the same rights as those who normally shop on closed surfaces, ”he guaranteed.
Long lines, crowded parks and a large turnout at the weekly fair in Famalicão
The times are of social isolation but today there were hundreds who did not dispense with a trip to the weekly Famalicão fair, to buy those “little things” that the land offers and that are nowhere else to be found.
Sprouts, potatoes, peas, corn and other food products, this time, had the company close to disinfectants, gloves and masks, which at this time little care is taken and the virus is not played with.
Because of the covid-19 pandemic, most municipalities decided to suspend the fairs, but in Famalicão, in the district of Braga, the decision was to “reinvent” the event, keeping it running but only in “food mode”.
Of the 800 or so marketers who normally attended, there are now only 80, which allows maintaining the necessary safety distances to try to avoid contagion.
At her fruit stand, Carla Meneses has no hands on measures to serve customers.
At the entrance, in addition to a sign that warns of the rules to be adopted, there is also alcohol, disinfectant and gloves available to customers.
“I do the best I know. We all have to be careful and respect each other ”, shoots Carla, who applauds the decision by the Chamber of Famalicão to keep the food sector of the fair running.
For this seller, it would make perfect sense for other municipalities to follow the example of Famalicão.
“Having the conditions that it has, yes, I think so, that there should be more fairs operating”, he says.
Of the four fairs he held before the pandemic, Famalicão’s is currently the only one.
It is also at the Famalicão fair that Maria Irene, from Barcelos, finds the place to dispose of the products she grows, such as peas, broad beans, beans, sprouts and other “little things” she cultivates.
“If there was no fair, we would lose these little things,” he said, recalling that many products from the land, such as the new potatoes sown in December, “do not have a long wait”.
Maria Irene knows that with the new coronavirus “all the care is too little” and assures that, for this reason, she is “all the care”, strictly complying with the guidelines she is “drinking” through television.
Today, he even took a mask to the fair but, as he confesses, he had to take it off, because it “fogged his glasses”.
Care for the virus also has António Dias, 66, from Barcelos, who in the middle of the morning had only corn to sell, because the rest had already gone.
“At home, it’s true that I don’t use a mask, but I always wash my hands with soap and sometimes we even disinfect it with bagasse,” he says.
The social isolation imposed by the virus does not deter many buyers from going to the fair, as is the case with Juliana Oliveira, who says that there she finds fresher and “more affordable” products than in supermarkets.
For Juliana, trips to the Famalicão fair were the only outings in the last 15 days.
“I always try to keep my distance, but today there are a lot of people”, he confesses, recognizing that, basically, the security measures are the same at the fair or in supermarkets.
The Mayor of Famalicão, Paulo Cunha, explained that the decision to keep the “food” fair running is essentially aimed at keeping a productive chain that starts with the farmer and ends with the consumer.
“If there is no outflow, there will be no production,” he says, stressing that the current pandemic crisis is a warning to the need for Portugal to reinforce its autonomy and productive independence.
He recalled that many products that are sold in large supermarkets are imported and massified, while at the fair there is local, agricultural and organic production.
In addition, he pointed out that the diversification of supply contributes to reducing the population concentration at the door of super and hypermarkets.
“It turns out to be good for everyone”, sums up the mayor.
The new coronavirus, responsible for the covid-19 pandemic, has already infected more than 1.4 million people worldwide, of whom more than 82,000 died.
In Portugal, according to the balance made on Wednesday by the Directorate-General for Health, there were 380 deaths, 35 more than the day before (+ 10.1%), and 13,141 cases of confirmed infections, which represents an increase 699 compared to Tuesday (+ 5.6%).
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