Orange production in the main brazilian citrus belt: profile and competition with other cultures

Abstract

Abstract

  The objective of this work was to identify within the main Brazilian citrus belt - state of São Paulo and the Triangle / Southwest Mineiro - the perception of the orange producer in relation to the replacement of the crop by another within his property. In 922 properties stratified in number of plants: up to 20,000; 20,001 to 100,000 and more than 100,000, divided into 12 regions and 5 sectors. 260 interviews were conducted - one at each property. With 93% confidence level and 5% sampling error, it was identified that: orange production within the surveyed region, is mostly composed of small-scale producers, with low productivity per hectare, and little sophistication in methods control of production costs. The research identified balance in the presence of oranges with other crops on the properties, in addition, the producer has the perception that the orange, in the last harvests, was more profitable than the crops present in his region, and, therefore, he replace the citrus culture with another. In case of exchange, sugar cane is the preferred crop on the part of producers - especially in the central and northern regions of the Brazilian citrus belt.

Keywords: regions. sectors. citrus properties. Orange. sugar cane