Índice tecnológico e sazonalidade do maracujá no extremo sul da Bahia

Abstract

The passion fruit crop is in a rising phase in the Extreme South of Bahia, contributing for the State of Bahia to achieve the position of higher producer of that fruit tree. The leverage of passion fruit in the region is due to the favorable edafo-climatic conditions and the need to diversify the economy due to the cacao crisis. The sustainability of the passion fruit crop depends on technologies and informations that can be made available to the producers and that are generated in the region, like the analysis of the technological index of the crop and the seasonal variation of prices, which are the objects of the present work. The study was concentrated in the towns of Alcobaça, Prado and Teixeira de Freitas because they are the higher producers of the region. The data for the technological index study were obtained through the direct application of questionnaires to the producers. For the analysis of seasonal variation of prices the informations were collected in the SEAGRI – Secretary of Agriculture, Irrigation and Land Reform of the State of Bahia. The analysis of the technological index was carried out by town and as a group and, in the study of the seasonal price variation were utilized the averages of the passion fruit price in whole region. It was observed that the technological index of the towns as a group was 0.6, which means that is being used in the passion fruit crop 60% of the available technological package, considered a good technological standard. In the individual analysis the town of Prado was outstanding with a technological index of 0.73, which classifies that town near to the technological standard considered optimum. The passion fruit prices, in the study area, possess a seasonal component, being September the period of better price for the producer.