Economic and technical profile of castor bean producers in state of Ceará

Abstract

This paper aims to identify and characterize distinct groups of castor bean producers in the municipality of Quixadá, Ceará, Brazil, regarding the economic and technical aspects. The data were gathered from direct survey by means of the application of questionnaires to producers of that municipality. This study used techniques of factorial and cluster analyses, as analysis tools, to obtain the factors that reflect the economic and technical levels, whose relationships define homogeneous groups of farmers. Thus, three groups of homogeneous farmers were identified, with different combinations of factors, which reflected the development degrees of agricultural activity. Separation into groups can subsidize the creation of local policies to support that sector, aiming to generate employment and income, as well as to improve the well-being of that rural population.