In 2006, the 63 temporary and permanent harvests investigated by the Municipal Agricultural Production (PAM), of IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) were planted in 62,352,696 hectares (3.0% lower than in the previous year), ...

 

 

In 2006, the 63 temporary and permanent harvests investigated by the Municipal Agricultural Production (PAM), of IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) were planted in 62,352,696 hectares (3.0% lower than in the previous year), generating a value of production of R$ 98.3 billion.  In the comparison with 2005, this value increased by 2.9% (R$ 2.8 billion), influenced mainly by sugar cane – whose prices increased mainly as a consequence of the major demand for alcohol, coffee and orange.  The value of the Brazilian agricultural production in 2006 did not reach, however, the level of 2004, when it was a record, approximately R$ 111.2 billion.

 

Besides this increase in the production of sugar cane in metric tons (8.1%) and Reais (29.0%), another highlight of PAM was observed in the fruit crops, responsible for the entrance of the Northeastern municipalities of Juazeiro (BA) and Petrolina (PE) in the list of the ten Brazilian municipalities with major values of agricultural production.  In 2006, for example, Petrolina became the major producer of grapes of the country, surpassing the traditional leader of the ranking, Bento Gonçalves (RS).

 

These and other information of PAM 2006 are specified in the text.  All these results of the survey are available in www.ibge.gov.br, where it is also possible to check the data about the harvest of grains - cereals, legumes and oilseeds¹ – already released in July 19 of this year.

 

 

Despite being affected by prices, soybeans continued in 2006, being the harvest with the major contribution for the total value of the Brazilian agricultural production (18.8%).  It is also worth mentioning sugar cane (17.3%), corn (10.1%) and coffee (9.5%).  Together, the four products represented 55.7% of the value of the agricultural production of 2006.

 

Among the states, São Paulo was responsible, once more, for the major part of the Brazilian agricultural production (20.3%).  The state is the major producer of orange (79.7%), sugar cane (58.8%), peanuts (82.2%), persimmon (50.8%), guava (35.9%), lemon (79.0%) and tangerine (44.4%).

 

Minas Gerais, which had the fourth position in 2005, had now the second major participation in 2006, with 12.3% of the value of the national production.  The production of coffee, main agricultural product of the state increased 32%. 

 

On the other hand, Mato Grosso fell from the second to the fifth position in the participation in the value of the Brazilian agricultural production, due to the lower rentability of soybeans, which is responsible for 55.5% of the value of production of the state.

 

 

Fruit crops carry Juazeiro (BA) and Petrolina (PE) to the fourth and sixth position in the ranking of value of production

 

 

In a general way, the municipalities which have agriculture production concentrated in cereals, legumes and oilseeds had the major reductions in the value of production in 2006.  However, even with a decrease of 16.3% in this indicator between 2005 and 2006, São Desidério (BA) was in the top of the ranking in the past year, with the major value of production (R$ 709,3 million), as a consequence mainly of the production of herbaceous cotton and soybeans. São Desidério surpassed the municipalities of Sapezal and Campo Verde in Mato Grosso.

 

The highlights were Juazeiro (BA) and Petrolina (PE), which appear for the first time among the ten Brazilian municipalities with major value of agricultural production (R$ 519.5 and 430.9 million, respectively). Due to the fruit crops, directed mainly to exports, the municipalities had increases of 56.3 % and 18.6% in the value of production, in comparison with 2005.

 

The following table lists the ten Brazilian municipalities with the major values of production in 2006.

 

 

 

 

Production of sugar cane increased by 8.1% between 2005 and 2006

 

 

In 2006, Brazil increased the production of sugar cane by 8.1%, in relation to the previous year, reaching 457,245, 516 metric tons.  Besides this increment of production, the increasing demand for alcohol in the domestic and international market influenced in the price of the product, leading to a growth of R$ 3.8 billion (29%) in the value of production, which reached almost R$ 17 billion in 2006. The area is also growing in the last years, surpassing the 6.0 million hectares in 2006.

 

São Paulo (58.8% of the national harvest) had increase of 5.6% in the production, mainly by the incorporation of more 200.000 ha to the productive process, which corresponds to a growth of 6.5% in relation to 2005.  Besides this, the state has the major average productivity (81,936 kg/ ha), considerably above the national average which was 74 418 kg/ ha.

 

Among the states, Minas Gerais had the major growth (26.9%) between 2005 and 2006.  The good market conditions have influenced the activities in the existing plants and the construction of new ones, favoring the expansion of production. Uberaba for example, with 36.000 ha, was the tenth major producer of sugar cane in 2006, with an increase of 61.1% in relation to the previous year.

 

 

 

 

The municipality of Morro Agudo (SP) continues to be the major national producer of sugar cane, with 7.8 million metric tons, which represents 1.7% of the national total. Among the 20 major producing municipalities, 16 are in São Paulo.  Some of them had a considerable growth in relation to 2005, such as Olímpia and Penápolis, which increased the value of production in 40.0% and 68.5%, respectively.

 

Comparing the planted area of sugar cane with other harvests in the years 2004 and 2006, it can be observed that the part destined to other harvests diminished 1.349.333 ha, compared to an increase of 545.562 ha for sugar cane.  It is important to point out that in this period the Brazilian agriculture was affected by the low prices of soybeans in the international market and with the unfavorable climatic conditions in the main producing regions of the country, which caused the indebtedness of several producers.  This panorama, in a certain way, favored the expansion of sugar cane, since there was a dissatisfaction of farmers with the market and the obligation of payment of debts.

 

From 2004 to 2006, the major increase of the crop was in São Paulo, which presented a growth of 332.877 ha for sugar cane, while in the planted areas with other harvests the area diminished 174.036 ha. It is possible, that part of this area was used for sugar cane plantations mainly those close to the plants. Another part of the increase of the sugar cane area came from pastures.

 

In other states, this trend is also occurring, for example, in Minas Gerais, mainly in the region of the Triângulo Mineiro. The sugar cane plantations increased 96.670 ha between 2004 and 2006, while the other crops reduced 175.971 ha.

 

Harvest of coffee had increase of 20.2% in 2006

 

The national harvest of coffee in 2006 totaled 2.573.368 t (42.8 million bags of 60 kg of processed coffee).  In relation to 2005 (2.140.169 t or 35.6 million bags), there was 20.2% of increase in the production, consequence mainly of the biennial cycle of the crop, which causes an alternation of years of high and low productivity.  The meteorological conditions, in general favorable since the period of flowering, in the end of 2005, also were responsible for the good results of the harvest.  The prices in the international market are also favorable since 2005 (valuation of the dollar).

 

Minas Gerais is the major producer of coffee in the country (51.5% of the national harvest).  From 2005 to 2006, the production of the state increased 32.2%, totaling 1.325.238 t (22.0 million bags) in the previous year.  The municipalities of Patrocínio (1.4% of the production of the country) and Três Pontas (1.3%) were the highlights in the state.

 

Espírito Santo, second major producer (21.4% of the national harvest), where the coffee conillon, besides the arabica, has a big economic expansion, had a total production of 551.566 t (9.2 million bags). It was a result 3.6% higher than the one of 2005.  In this state, the municipal highlights were Jaguaré (1.4% of the Brazilian production) and Sooretama (1.1%).

 

The table below shows the ten major producing municipalities of Brazil, all in the Southeast.

 

 

 

 

 

Acará (PA) maintains hegemony in the production of cassava

 

 

The national production of cassava summed in 2006, 26.6 million tons of roots, 3.0% more than in 2005 (25.9 million tons). Practically there were no changes in the harvested area (1.896.509 ha), but the yield was above the one of 2005 (13,605 kg/ ha), reaching 14,046 kg/ ha.

 

Despite being harvested in all the country, cassava concentrated in three states, where is located 50% of the Brazilian population: Pará (5.1 million metric tons or 19.1% of the national production), Bahia (4.4 million metric tons, or 16.5%) and Paraná (3.8 million metric tons, or 14.4%).  The municipality of Acará, repeating the hegemony of 2005, was the main Brazilian producer of cassava (2.3% of the national production), even with a decrease of 16.7% in 2006.

 

 

 

State of SP concentrated 34.5 % of the value of production of fruits, but municipal highlights were registered in Petrolina and Juazeiro

 

Among the 63 investigated crops by PAM, 22 are fruit crops, planted in 2.955.785 ha, generating a revenue of R$ 16.5 billion.  Orange was the most important one.  In 2006, its harvest covered 805.903 ha, generating 18.032.313 t and R$ 5.3 billion, which represented 32.8% of the value of the Brazilian production of fruits.

 

The state of São Paulo concentrated 34.5 % of the value of the Brazilian production of fruits, and Bahia stood out with 12.4%.  However, the irrigated lands of the São Francisco Valley were the main responsible for the growth of the value of production, of 22.6% in relation to the previous year.  The municipalities of Petrolina and Juazeiro produced high-quality fruits, being that in Juazeiro the crops which stood out were mango, with an expansion of more than 2.000 ha and increase of 15.5% in the prices, and grapes with increase of value of 30.6%.

 

Fraiburgo (SC), major Brazilian producer of apple (21.0% of the harvest of this fruit) remained in the third position in the ranking of fruit crops as we can see in the table below.

 

 

 

 

Rio Real (BA) had third position in the harvest of orange in 2006

 

The national harvests of orange, in 2006, totaled 18.032.313 t (442.0 million boxes of 40.8 kg). The result was 1.0% above the value of 2005, when the country produced 17,853,443 t (437.6 million boxes).

 

The state of São Paulo concentrated, in the past year, 79.7% of the national production of orange, with 14,367,011 t (352.1 million boxes), in 571.532 hectares.  The main municipal highlight in the crop, nevertheless, was registered in Rio Real, in Bahia.  This municipality changed from the 9th position, in 2005, to the 3rd position among the major producers of orange in the country in the previous year.  It is the only municipality in this ranking which is not from São Paulo.

 

 

 

 

 

Municipalities of Pará lead the production of pineapple

 

According to data from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Brazil is the major world producer of pineapple, answering for 13.4% of the annual total in the period 2001 to 2006.  In the domestic market, pineapple answered for 5.2% of the value of the production of fruit products.

In 2006, 1,707,088 thousands of pineapples were produced, surpassing 2005 in 11.7%. The average yield reached the number of 25,538 fruits/ ha; and the harvested area, 66,845 ha. Among the states, Pará was in the first position, with 354,244 thousands fruits, 32.1% more than in 2005, which corresponded to 20.8% of the national production of the fruit.

 

The municipalities of Pará, Floresta do Araguaia and Conceição do Araguaia produced 162,000 and 145,000 thousands of pineapples, which corresponded to 9.5% and 8.5% of the Brazilian production of 2006.  The municipalities of Paraíba, Santa Rita, Itapororoca, Araçagi and Pedras de Fogo summed approximately 15% of the total produced.  In Minas Gerais, the major producers were Canápolis, Monte Alegre de Minas, Frutal and Fronteira, summing 11.8% of the harvest of pineapple in the country.

 

 

Bahia turned into the major producer of bananas

 

Brazil, in 2006, produced 6 956 179 t of banana bunches, an increase of 3.8%, which made of banana the second fruit crop of the country, with 16.4% of the total value of production.  The national average yield of the crop was 13,786 kg of bunches/ ha.  Six producing states stood out, Bahia, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Pará and Ceará, which summed 57.1% of the total.

 

Bahia turned into the main national producer of bananas, surpassing São Paulo, with 17.0% of the harvest and a growth of 21.3% in relation to 2005, summing 1,182,941 t of bunches in the past year.  The major production was registered again in Wenceslau Guimarães (BA): 166,320 t of bunches, or 2.4% of the national total.

 

The other municipalities in the top of the ranking had decrease in the production of bananas between 2005 and 2006. They were Corupá, in SC (125,790 t and reduction of 15.0%); Cajati, in SP (119,860 t and decrease of 2.6%); and Luiz Alves, in SC (113,400 t and reduction of 12.9%). In a general way, these decreases in the production occurred due to the crop renovation, with the substitution of traditional types of species by other more resistant to the Black Sigatoka, severe fungal disease which spread out through Amazônia and reached commercial banana plantations in the Southeast and South Regions.  In Bahia, the municipality of Bom Jesus da Lapa had a significant increase in the production, of 115.4% between 2005 and 2006.

 

 

Esplanada (BA) stood out as producer of coconut

 

 

In 2006, the country produced 1,985,478 thousands coconuts, 4.5% less than in the previous harvest. Bahia is the main national producer, with 628,376 thousands fruits, which was a reduction in the production of 11.9% relatively to the harvest of 2005.  Besides Bahia, the other main state producers were, in order of quantity harvested, Pará, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Pernambuco and Sergipe. Together these states had 87.8% of the national production.

 

The municipalities of Bahia, Esplanada (6.2%), Conde (4.5%) and Acajutiba (4.1%) were the highlights in the national production; besides the municipality of São Mateus (ES) (4.0%) and the municipality of  Moju (PA) (3.4%).

 

 

Fraiburgo answered for 21.0% of the national total of apples

 

In 2006, the national production of apples summed 863,019 t of the fresh fruit, an increment of 1.5%, in relation to the harvest 2005.  The state of Santa Catarina produced 496.665 t, or 57.5% of the national total.  Rio Grande do Sul, with a production of 328.091 t, recorded 38.0% of the total.

 

The municipality of Santa Catarina, Fraiburgo maintained the first position producing 181,435 t.  Even with a decrease of 12.0% in relation to 2005, it answered, in the previous year, for 21.0% of the national production of apple.  In the second position was Vacaria (RS), with 145 248 t (16.8% of the national total); followed by São Joaquim (SC), which harvested 118.450 t. Together, the three had  51.5% of the national production of apples in 2006.

 

 

Petrolina is the major producer of grapes

 

In 2006, the country had a production of 1,257,064 t of grapes, 2.0% higher than in 2005.  The value of production had a sustained growth, since 2002, changing from approximately R$ 1.0 billion to R$ 1.66 billion in the previous year.

 

Rio Grande do Sul was the main national producer in 2006, with 623,878 t (49.6% of the Brazilian harvest). However, the municipality of Pernambuco, Petrolina took over the leadership in the production of grapes, with 112,200 t (3.1% major than in 2005), which corresponded to 8.9% of the national production.  In the second position, was the municipality of RS, Bento Gonçalves (87,000 t, or 6.9% of the national total); followed by Juazeiro (84,900 t, or 6.8%) from Bahia.

 

 

Papaya had a record harvest in 2006

 

According to FAO, Brazil is the main world producer of papaya, with 24.0% of the world total.  The production of 2006 represented a world record, with 1,897,639 t and an increment of 20.6% in relation to 2005.  The harvested area summed 36.650 ha; and the average yield, 51 777 kg/ ha.

 

Bahia is the leader, with a production of 914.679 metric tons of papaya, 48.2% of the national total. In relation to 2005, the production of the state increased by 25.8%.  In this state, are 13 among 20 of the major municipalities of papaya of the world, although the leadership of this ranking came from Pinheiros (ES), with 438,000 t or 23.1% of the total of the country.  Pinheiros has the highest average yield of the country: 120.000 kg/ ha.

 

 

Note:

1 - Soybeans, corn, rice, wheat, beans, herbaceous cotton, sorghum, oats, barley, peanuts, triticale, castor beans, sunflower, rye and arboreous cotton.