The Relevance of Technical Progress in Consolidation of Soybean Production Chain in the South of Maranhão State (Brazil)

Abstract

This text is mainly aimed to identify the role of technical progress in the expansive dynamics of the soybean production chain in southern Maranhão. In the last ten years, soybean production in the state of Maranhão grew 110%, productivity by 31% and the crop area increased 300%. In the crop year of 2014/2015, productivity reached 2,745 kg / ha, the planted area reached more 749,600 hectares and production from two million tonnes. In the south of the state, the numbers of these variables are: 3,120 kg / ha; 640,000 hectares and 1.9 million tons respectively. The southern part is responsible for 92% of production and 91% of the Maranhão soybean area. The expansion cause was motivated, among other things, through technological innovations, especially by the agreement between Embrapa and Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Corredor de Exportação Norte Irineu Alcides Bays (FAPCEN). Currently, 83.9% of used seeds are transgenic. In the edaphoclimatic micro-regions (MREC's) one and two that percentage is 95%, and in MREC's three and four it reaches to 70%.