Análise socioeconômica de agricultores familiares com produção leiteira, associados na COOPERALFA, na região norte de Águas de Chapecó - SC

Abstract

Family farming is the predominant system in the world, it is the sector that generates more jobs and better distributes the income in rural areas. In this context, an activity that has been widely developed is milk production, which has been increasing year after year, having great importance in regions where it is developed, assisting in the economic development of the productive units. To further add to the development of the units, milk producers unite through cooperatives, increasing their strength before the market competitiveness. Thus, the objective is of this work to analyze the socioeconomic profile of family farming dairy farmers associated with Agroindustrial Cooperativa Alfa (Cooperalfa) in the north of the city of Águas de Chapecó - SC, assessing the economic viability of milk production chain, as well as its relevance in the social aspect. The methodology used was the case study with mixed approach, from questionnaires administered in the form of interviews. Producers of respondents have milk in its production unit milk production as main income-generating activity, and the milk production system based on properties, especially in the consumer pastures. The main difficulties encountered in dairy production are the manpower employed in the activity, as well as investment costs the same. Future perspectives of activity in most of the properties is to increase production. Milk production compared with other activities on the properties, it presents with lower profitability compared to the production of tobacco and poultry farming activity. However, still has preference over these activities due to the fact that farmers are the owners own business and also due to demand cheaper labor compared to the others. Thus, it is concluded that dairy farming was presented as a viable production form, consisting of a source of monthly income for the units, and through it many families manage to stay in agriculture and promote the development of its properties.