COST DIFFERENTIALS IN RICE CULTURES: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE RIO GRANDE DO SUL STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

An increase of competitiveness in the national and world economies, resulting from a globalized market, demands alternative forms to reduce business costs. The Brazilian climatic diversity and varied relief allow the greatest possible differentiation of rice production types. Additionally, the establishment of costs and productivity differentials for different types of cultivation becomes important to enhance the competitiveness conditions of producers. Within this perspective, this article intends to demonstrate the main differentials of planting costs of the rice cultivations systems, giving prominence to the conventional planting system, direct planting system and pre-germinated planting one. A case study methodology was used. The results have shown that the cultivation systems differ more significantly in their costs when mechanical irrigation is used. It has also been pointed out that the system of pregerminated cultivation has the smallest planting cost. It has been concluded that, for the producer, the choice of a method appropriate to the climatic conditions and the regional relief is also a factor of a more specific analysis, concerning investments for the business implantation. Keywords: Rice Cultures. Planting types. Production costs.