Dynamics of rice production in the state of Maranhão

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the dynamics of rice production in the state of Maranhão, Brazil in the period 1975–2010. Time series data from 1975 to 2010 (2012 for state averages) were used, with values of harvested area, production and productivity, and the following analyses were performed: frequency distribution; measures of concentration; distances with geographic entities; cluster analysis; and annual growth rate. The state of Maranhão showed negative growth rate for production, harvested area and yield of rice in the period 1975–2010. In relation to municipalities, in 2010, higher yields were obtained in the municipalities of Arari and Vitória do Mearim; higher production in Santa Luzia and Grajaú; and higher harvested area in Barra do Corda and Santa Luzia. Moreover, only 18% of the municipalities comprising the “G10” (the group of the ten municipalities with highest values) related to production and 25% of the “G10” related to harvested area in 1975 were still part of the same groups in 2010, showing there was a major change in the production scenario of this culture in Maranhão. It took only 14 municipalities to gather 25% of production, and 15 municipalities to gather 25% of the harvested area, showing high concentration of production in the state.