Análise econômica da produção de amêndoas de cacau (theobroma cacao) face à variação do preço do mercado: um estudo aplicado no município de Ouro Preto do Oeste-RO

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop an economic analysis of cocoa almonds production in the municipality of Ouro Preto do Oeste-RO, comparing financial market variations in order to investigate the viability of production and/or possible alternatives for cocoa production. Regarding the objective, the method used was the exploratory and descriptive research and, regarding the means, the bibliographical, documentary and field researches, with a qualitative and quantitative approach, using content analysis as a data collection technique and statistical techniques for the data analysis. The research sample consisted of 15 farmers who work with cocoa production in the municipality of Ouro Preto do Oeste, randomly selected through the informations provided by CEPLAC. The results indicate that there is an association of low productivity with the absence of production and cost management practices. The study also suggests that while most producers do not use cost management, efficiency and productivity practices, they agree on the importance of the benefits generated by their use in decision-making. This fact signals the interest of producers in improving property management, enabling improvements in productivity, which is the key factor for the results can also contribute to investment in farming and in the property as a whole. Through the correlation analysis, the results show that there is a moderate positive association between the London cacao price and the profit of the Ouro Preto do Oeste-RO producers, while there is a very strong and significant positive association between producers' profits and the prices paid to them locally.