Produção e comercialização de abacaxi no município de Santana do Cariri - Estado do Ceará

Abstract

The present study aimed at describing and analyzing the relevant features presented by Pineapple crop production marketing in the area comprizing the Municipality of Santana do Cariri, State of Ceará. Specifically, such aspects as use efficiency of the end on factors and both the productive and marketing systems were analyzed as well as the prevailing market conditions. The study was based on a direct research covering 34 pineapple producers operating in the Municipality of Santana of Cariri and 8 wholesalers, 5 of them beiJuazeiro do Norte and 3 in Crato besides contats with retailrs in this test two municipalities. All information relate to 1977/78 and 1978/79 corpping seasons.In order to best attain its objectives the work was carried out in to phases: in the first phase a "relations tabular analysis" was performed dealing with the productive system and also with some aspects of the marking process: in the second phase a Cobb-Douglas production function was determinated which has been adjusted by the least square method, hellowedby an estimation of regression equations. Cobb-Douglas.equation is defined as: Y=AX1b1 . X2b2 where: Y= productivity yield, fruit/ha; X1 = labor variable/ha (man/days/ha); X2 = plant deside variable - population/ha. The production costs were based on the operational costure. The hired labor outlays represented 23,6% of the net incom generated by the crop. The total operational cost per dectare calleã for 62,7% of the income generated by the crop. The statistical results obtained from the Cobb-Douglas function indicate that the statistic "t" of the regression efficient related to the X, variable was not significant, while the one for variable K> was significant at the probability levela of 0,05. The value for test "F" in the regression equation was significant at the 0,01% level. The coefficient value for multiple determination R, was 57%, indicating a reasonable adjustment grade to the selected estimated equation. The Durbin-Watson test showed inconclusive as to a serial correlation assumption for residuals at the 0,05 immobability level. The marginal productivity values for resources use were Cr$ 0,34 for plants per hectare and Cr$ 73,12 for workday labor per hectare. A comparison has been made of the marginal productivity alves, together with their respective prices so that an idea à be made of the reward or payment which should be accrued no factors. Because wholesalers had fixed the prices for pineapple mecording to fruit quality and because December is the mouth em a good deal of the partially spoiled fruits is marketed, Mes price is reduced and consequently the margin was lowered in the two cropping seasons studied. As pineapple is a greatly perishable fruit and in the Meginning of harvest (August) it is picked partly in a green às decay results nearly non-existent; consequently its its not affected what adds up to higher margins. Also as pineapple is a fruit currently sold in those during August at a retail price nearly standardized, imakes retailer margins higher. Being January the end of the cropping season and pineapple supply is reduced, with the product being of lower quality, retailers reduce their prices, thus lowering down lr margins. In December (1978/79) the fruit spoilage is also aderable and along with a price reduction the competitive o ent among retailers also shrinks due to the largerties supplied. This makes retailers charge prices below Emarket's and lower than other retailers* and lower than others retailers', thus moving margins downward.