Perfil produtivo de propriedades da agricultura familiar do município de Realeza, Paraná

Abstract

Family farming in Brazil is regulated by Law No. 11,326/2006, which establishes the criteria for classifying family-owned properties, with the predominant use of family labor and an area limited to four fiscal modules. Approximately 80% of agricultural establishments in the country are family farms. Regarding milk production, the state of Paraná is the third largest producer in Brazil, with 86% of producers being smallholders. The municipality of Realeza is located in the southwest region of the state of Paraná and has 917 rural establishments, with family farming accounting for 90% of these establishments. Given the scarcity of research related to the profile of family farms, this study aimed to establish the productive profile of family farms in the municipality of Realeza, Paraná. To this end, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 177 family farms in the municipality, including questions regarding ownership, livestock, and the family's social profile. The data were tabulated and presented descriptively. The results showed that most producers are men, aged 51 to 60, have completed elementary school, and have been in the industry for over 15 years. The predominant production area is five hectares, with an average of 22 animals per property and 10 animals in production. The dairy herd has an average of 10.44 lactating females, with bucket-at-foot milking being the predominant system, and semi-intensive production systems are present on almost 70% of properties. Regarding the reproductive profile, it was noteworthy that 56.60% of properties use natural breeding, with the bull present on 69.18% of properties, and gestational diagnosis was performed on 35.15%. Regarding income from dairy farms, 33.33% received between R$2,000 and R$5,000, and 28.95% of respondents reported spending between 26% and 50% of the gross income on dairy farming activities. Access to financing is available to 54.8% of producers, with PRONAF (National Agricultural Fund for Agricultural Development) being the most widely used, while 57.38% do not receive technical assistance. This study concludes that family farms in the municipality of Realeza are primarily comprised of more experienced producers, who employ semi-intensive practices, predominantly use natural breeding, rely on credit lines such as PRONAF, and have limited access to technical assistance.