Municipalities that produce cotton, corn and soy have higher GDP per capita values

The municipalities that lead the production value of herbaceous cotton, corn and soybeans presented the highest values ​​for GDP per capita (Gross Domestic Product per inhabitant) among the main agricultural municipalities. The conclusion is a study by the Department of Financing and Information of the Secretariat of Agricultural Policy, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.

The study crossed data from the classification of municipalities by the Municipal Agricultural Survey (PAM), from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), with the GDP per capita of 2017. 20 municipalities producing soybeans, corn, beans, sugarcane were selected. sugar, coffee, herbaceous cotton, rice, cocoa and orange, which represented 59% of the country's production value.

“It is noted that these municipalities have a GDP per capita more than twice as high as the national average (R$31.834,00). Campos de Júlio (MT) had a GDP per capita of R$190.239, six times higher than the national average. Sapezal (MT) had a GDP per capita of R$103.552 in 2018, more than three times the country's GDP per capita.”, highlights José Garcia Gasques, general coordinator of Policy Assessment and Information at Mapa.

Other municipalities, such as Diamantino (R$ 91.907) and Nova Ubiratã (R$ 90.449), also had a GDP per capita much higher than the national average.

The regions that lead the production value of cotton, corn and soybeans are those that have generated the greatest wealth in the field, indicated by GDP. In a lower position are the areas of sugar cane, beans and oranges. The regions with the lowest GDP per capita value are the coffee, cocoa and rice areas, with GDP per capita around 20% to 30% below the national average.

“These results show that regions that have incorporated increasing levels of technology have also led in income generation in agriculture. In this race, products that find it more difficult to leave traditional production patterns are being left behind, which has led to the impoverishment of important Brazilian regions”, concludes Gasques.

Largest municipal agricultural economies in the country

Data from the Municipal Agricultural Survey (PAM), released in September last year by IBGE, show that São Desidério (BA), Sapezal (MT) and Sorriso (MT) are the municipalities with the highest value of agricultural production in the country. They are the main producers of herbaceous cotton, soybeans, corn, among other grains, and champions of generating wealth in the countryside.

The body evaluated 38 permanent and 33 temporary crops. Among the 50 municipalities with the highest value of agricultural production, 18 are in Mato Grosso.

The first place in the ranking belongs to São Desidério, located west of Bahia, with a production value of R$3,6 billion in 2018, an increase of 54,4% compared to the previous year. Half of this value was generated by soybeans, corresponding to 1,6 million tons.

In second place as the largest Brazilian producing municipality is Sapezal, which is west of Mato Grosso, with R$3,3 billion (+28%). In addition to producing soybeans, sunflowers, beans and rice, its main product is herbaceous cotton, whose production value was R$1,8 billion in 2018.

Sorriso, located north of Mato Grosso, went from first place in 2017 to third in 2018. The value of production totaled R$3,3 billion in 2018. The main product of this municipality is soybeans, whose production was 2,2 million tons, generating a production value of R$2 billion. Sorriso is also an important producer of corn, the first in the country, and beans.

The IBGE study represents an important source for monitoring agricultural information at the municipal level. “This study has been the basis of several works on Brazilian agriculture, in addition to being an important source of information about the municipalities”, assesses Gasques.