The maintenance of agricultural machinery and the use of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in rice cultivation are the main items that make up the production costs of this cereal in the main producing state: Rio Grande do Sul. Study carried out by the National Supply Company (Conab ) reveals that the significant participation of machinery in expenses is due to its use in humid or flooded soils, a condition that leads to greater wear, and the high abrasiveness of paddy rice, which causes degradation of harvesting and drying equipment.
The work, entitled “Evolution of production costs and profitability of irrigated rice in Rio Grande do Sul in the harvest years 2006/07 to 2016/17”, shows that machines represent 20,67%, 18,13% and 19,78% of production costs in Cachoeira do Sul , Itaqui/Uruguaiana and Pelotas, respectively. Seeds, fertilizers and pesticides correspond to 28.71% of costs in Cachoeira do Sul, 33.02% in Itaqui/Uruguaiana and 26.24% in Pelotas.
In the profitability analysis, the study reveals that from the 12/13 harvest onwards, the indicators were positive in the locations analyzed. According to the superintendent of Agribusiness Information at Conab, Aroldo de Oliveira Neto, the prices received by producers are directly related to the geographical location of production, logistics and productivity behavior. “The producer's positive gross revenue is also related to the results in the implementation of new technological packages. The increase in operating costs is offset by the increase in profitability”, he highlights.
When choosing the cities analyzed, the study mainly considered regional differences in terms of climate, soil, marketing conditions and logistics. The localities of Uruguaiana were chosen, representing the Western Border; Cachoeira do Sul as a representative of the state’s Central Depression; Pelotas, representing the South zone; and Santo Antônio da Patrulha, representing the state’s Outer Coastal Plain. Depending on the period under analysis, three municipalities were taken into account: Cachoeira do Sul, Itaqui/Uruguaiana and Pelotas.
The inclusion of national data in the work positions Brazil as the 6th largest producer of paddy rice in the world, with 1,78% of the planet's production. The country is also the largest consumer market outside Asia and 18th in the world in terms of average productivity. In the two largest Brazilian producing states, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, productivity is around 7 thousand kg per hectare.
Source: Agricultural News
