Cultivo de orquídeas: uma opção á agricultura familiar?

Abstract

The cultivation of orchids is an business that has been established as an important economic activity in Brazil. This study looked at the overall picture of the market showing the balance of trade in the country, the development of exports and imports, and major exporting states. The retail sector which moved R$ 4.0 billion in 2010, registered a negative balance in international trade. However, his support remains focused on the domestic market that is far from saturation. The large market consumer and producer is Sao Paulo, followed by Rio de Janeiro. But the production has diversified by adding new products and regions. One of the major challenges the sector is to ensure the flow of goods, concentrated in a limited number of special dates. In Ceara state, a success story in exports of roses, the segment of orchids are weak and of secondary importance in the local economy. The humid mountains of the state, home to one of the most important species in the world (Cattleya labiata), find themselves heavily deforested for agricultural purposes. The production in these areas is composed mostly of small farmers with low entreprising capacity and low vision market. The consequence is the contempt for their native flora. This is of importance the necessary incentives for the strengthening of new business initiatives, such as orquidiocultura, which can be made on small farms, generating employment opportunities. Challenges such as these make up the new setting for the cultivation of orchids in the country and should be part of the agenda of all who are concerned about the development of the sector in Brazil.