Produção e comercialização de hortaliças em feiras livres na microrregião de Januária

Abstract

This work discusses the relationship between production and marketing of vegetables in open markets for farmers in the microregion Januaria, north of Minas Gerais. It is a region of semi-arid climate with most of the rural population formed of farmers. In recent decades the search for a healthy diet caused an increase in demand of horticultural products. In this context, the farmers have great potential to provide quality vegetables for the population, thus generating income and quality of life in the rural environment. Thus the objective with this study is to characterize the profile of producers / traders and consumers of vegetables in the region, analyzing the commercial, productive and social trade in free markets. To this end, we studied the municipalities of Chapada Gaucha Itacarambi, Januária and Manga in microregion Januaria. Interviews were conducted through semi-structured questionnaires applied to the merchants who carried out the sale and production of vegetables, as well to the consumers present at the fairs. The interviews were conducted at two different times, during the rainy season (January) and in the dry season (June), to identify bottlenecks and market opportunities. We applied the chi-square and Fisher Phi with a significance level of 5%, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study shows that farmers are adapting again to the current reality, creating alternatives for income generation, diversifying activities. The producers of the cities studied have a good profitability in small areas of cultivation of vegetables that give them one the more source of income. It was proven more effective participation of women in income generation for the family. And the knowledge of the profile, customs and expectations of consumers is of paramount importance for development of future actions that allow to maximize income generation.