SANTANA, L. M.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/3736847999167883; SANTANA, Lindaura Maria de.
Résumé:
The present work has as its objective to understand the influence, in its
economic and social aspects, of tropical fruit production, based upon irrigation
agriculture in the Agribusiness Pole of Açu, on the economy of the State of Rio
Grande do Norte beginning in the eighties and, thus, investigate the current
importance of this production in the economic context of the State relative to
productivity, to employment and to tax revenue. With that objective, the
transformations that occurred in the agricultural sector, specifically in the
Agribusiness Pole of Açu - RN, after the installation of the businesses that constitute
the Pole, were identified and viewed under the capital accumulation logic
perspective. AH of the companies: Maísa, Fazenda São João, Viva Agroindustrial,
Finobras and Frunorte, have large quantities of capital at their disposal and practice
salaried worker relations, the production being, therefore, within the capitalist mold,
in addition to a large State apparatus with respect to loans and tax exemptions,
making possible the growing integration of agriculture with the dynamics of capital.
The exemption of the ICMS (Tax on the Circulation of Merchandise and Services)
had as its objective to promote the development of the Agribusiness Pole of Açu -
RN, this Pole being seen as the principal producer of tropical fruits in the State with
the intention of increasing the aggregate value of agricultural production and to
guarantee stable employment for the working population in the fields as well as in
industry. However, through the data researched, it was verified that even though
production and worker productivity was increasing, through technological growth,
the situation of the workers of this Pole remained the same in terms of salaries. With
respect to the generation of employment, it was established that the increase in the
number of jobs offered by these companies, during the period in analysis, did not
compensate, in relative terms, what the State forwent in ICMS, being seen, in this
manner, a growing concentration of capital in the private companies, sponsored, in
part, be public revenues, under the support of the State.