Caracterização da cadeia produtiva de leite de cabra no Cariri Paraibano: um estudo de caso no Município de Cabaceiras.

Abstract

In recent years the Cariri Paraíba has received major financial investments of government institutions through public policies directed to the productive chain of caprinocultura milk, activity that has been considered as strategic for the development of the territory. However, despite the importance of social and productive caprinocultura milk, are still few details concerning this particular activity. The main objective of this research was to characterize and analyze the production chain of goat milk in the city of Cabaceiras, Cariri region of eastern Paraiba. The aim was to identify the key components of the production chain; characterize the different producers; identify the institutional framework and organizational as well as the form of organization. The information o f the various segments that make up the production chain, such as production systems, agribusiness, marketing and support institutions, were collected by the application of specific questionnaires and conducting interviews with key people, during the months of September to October 2007. We interviewed 28 producers of goat milk, representatives of the association of producers, directors of agribusiness, technical advisors and representatives of the local public. While results, it was observed that the production of goat’s milk represents an alternative to generate income for family farmers, and improve the standard of racial herds and the infrastructure of the properties, which most of them are of size small to medium, with the production of milk producers and is administered by younger. It was also discovered that the agribusiness plays an important role in the economic and social getting milk producers of five municipalities, generating jobs and providing support services to member farmers. On the other hand, were observed some characteristics that may endanger the sustainability of the production chain but also weaken the ecosystem in which it is embedded. In that sense, there is the high cost of production, the high dependence on external inputs, the low stability of milk production over the year, the dependence of the production chain in relation to government policy of buying the production and environmental risk that involves the uncontrolled growth of the herd in a semi-arid region.