Análise da sustentabilidade do Perímetro Irrigado Baixo Acaraú, no Estado do Ceará

Abstract

When it comes to water availability, Brazil has a privileged position in the world. However, the amount of water available varies widely among regions. The semi-arid northeast is a region characterized by irregular rainfall. Due to the lack of rain, irrigation technology is essential for a modern agriculture in this region. The Government built public projects of irrigation, known as irrigated perimeters, where producers buy lots of land, with an infrastructure of irrigation to produce. The objective of this study was to analyze the sustainability of Irrigated Perimeter Baixo Acaraú, in the state of Ceará. Through participative research metodology, it was discussed the main problems that producers face in the perimeter and the institutions that represent some importance for irrigating. The performance of most of these institutions is unsatisfactory, indicating that public policies are not effective in the Perimeter. Moreover, despite the quality of infrastructure, Perimeter producers are disorganized and do not reach good levels of production and marketing. Consequently, the perimeter does not show an acceptable level of sustainability.