Spatial distribution of microregions specialized in milk production

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify and characterizes the spatial distribution of the microregions specialized in bovine milk production in Paraná State, Brazil, using data from the Municipal Livestock Survey conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and the Central Bank of Brazil’s National Program to Strengthen Household Agriculture (PRONAF), from 2000 to 2012. Methodologically, we carry out location quotient (LQ), principal component, (PCA) and cluster analyses. Based on the results of the LQ, of the 39 microregions in Paraná State analyzed, 13 are identified as specializing in milk production. In particular, the West and Southwest mesoregions as well as the microregion of Ponta Grossa, in relative terms, account for 58% of the milk produced in the study period. Additionally, based on the PCA, 2 principal components are found to explain 91.5% of the variability in the data, termed technically enhanced production and household production. Finally, by using cluster analysis, five groups are identified among the microregions specializing in milk production, thus indicating marked heterogeneity across the state. This situation requires the expansion of public policies that mitigate regional disparities and provide the state with production gains from milk farming.