Socio-economic aspects of irrigation agriculture as livelihood for rural families in Brazil’s semi-arid northeast

Along the lower-middle São Francisco River, in the semi-arid region of northeast Brazil, irrigated agriculture contributes to reduce rural poverty. In the framework of the Itaparica Reservoir construction, three irrigation schemes were implemented in the Pernambuco state to compensate the local population for flooded land. Despite favourable production conditions for irrigated agriculture, many smallholders in the irrigation schemes are facing poverty. To identify socio-economic key indicators on farm income, expert interviews (n=16) and a household survey (n=120) were conducted. The effect of socio-economic factors and crop choice on farm income was investigated by analysis of variance. Insufficient infrastructure, limited market access and low market power, volatility of producer prices, lack of credit availability, unequal distribution of irrigable land, and insufficient social capital and knowledge about irrigated fruit production threatened the smallholders’ livelihoods. Crop choice and availability of irrigable areas were the main characteristics of prosperous smallholders, whereas knowledge intensive and capital intensive perennials as well as high value annual cash crops with high risks of yield losses were the most profitable crops. Thus, wealthier farmers were more likely to generate high farm income. Agricultural extension, investments in infrastructure, especially in improved market access and value-adding facilities, and off-farm income alternatives are recommended to provide adequate income to the local population and prevent rural exodus

ANÁLISE DOS IMPACTOS GERADOS PELO PROGRAMA MINHA CASA MINHA VIDA NO ÍNDICE DE VELOCIDADE DE VENDAS NA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DO RECIFE / Analysis of impacts generated by The Minha Casa Minha Vida Program in Sales Speed Index in Metropolitan Region of Recife

O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo analisar os impactos gerados pelo Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida (PMCMV) no Índice de Velocidade de Vendas da Região Metropolitana do Recife (RMR) entre 2002 e 2013. O mercado imobiliário do Grande Recife obteve avanços significativos, principalmente entre 2004 e 2009, quando os financiamentos habitacionais praticamente triplicaram. Por essa razão, surgiu o interesse em estudar esse mercado diante da perspectiva da política pública, partindo do pressuposto de que essa política é uma ferramenta de interferência positiva nesse mercado. Assim, analisaram-se as políticas habitacionais do Governo Fedeal, com ênfase no PMCMV, e seus impactos na redução do déficit habitacional na RMR. Aplicou-se, finalmente, o modelo econométrico de intervenção para verificar, de forma mais profunda, os efeitos dessa política habitacional sobre a demanda e a oferta de imóveis na região. Palavras-chave: Programa Minha Casa minha Vida. Índice de Velocidade de Vendas. Região Metropolitana do Recife

A presença de capital social nas comunidades atendidas pelos projetos de combate à pobreza rural (PCPR) em Pernambuco

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Análise dos impactos gerados pelo programa minha casa minha vida no índice de velocidade de vendas na região metropolitana do recife

O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo analisar os impactos gerados pelo Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida (PMCMV) no Índice de Velocidade de Vendas da Região Metropolitana do Recife (RMR) entre 2002 e 2013. O mercado imobiliário do Grande Recife obteve avanços significativos, principalmente entre 2004 e 2009, quando os financiamentos habitacionais praticamente triplicaram. Por essa razão, surgiu o interesse em estudar esse mercado diante da perspectiva da política pública, partindo do pressuposto de que essa política é uma ferramenta de interferência positiva nesse mercado. Assim, analisaram-se as políticas habitacionais do Governo Fedeal, com ênfase no PMCMV, e seus impactos na redução do déficit habitacional na RMR. Aplicou-se, finalmente, o modelo econométrico de intervenção para verificar, de forma mais profunda, os efeitos dessa política habitacional sobre a demanda e a oferta de imóveis na região.Palavras-chave: Programa Minha Casa minha Vida. Índice de Velocidade de Vendas. Região Metropolitana do Recife

ANÁLISE DOS IMPACTOS GERADOS PELO PROGRAMA MINHA CASA MINHA VIDA NO ÍNDICE DE VELOCIDADE DE VENDAS NA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DO RECIFE / Analysis of impacts generated by The Minha Casa Minha Vida Program in Sales Speed Index in Metropolitan Region of Recife

O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo analisar os impactos gerados pelo Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida (PMCMV) no Índice de Velocidade de Vendas da Região Metropolitana do Recife (RMR) entre 2002 e 2013. O mercado imobiliário do Grande Recife obteve avanços significativos, principalmente entre 2004 e 2009, quando os financiamentos habitacionais praticamente triplicaram. Por essa razão, surgiu o interesse em estudar esse mercado diante da perspectiva da política pública, partindo do pressuposto de que essa política é uma ferramenta de interferência positiva nesse mercado. Assim, analisaram-se as políticas habitacionais do Governo Fedeal, com ênfase no PMCMV, e seus impactos na redução do déficit habitacional na RMR. Aplicou-se, finalmente, o modelo econométrico de intervenção para verificar, de forma mais profunda, os efeitos dessa política habitacional sobre a demanda e a oferta de imóveis na região.Palavras-chave: Programa Minha Casa minha Vida. Índice de Velocidade de Vendas. Região Metropolitana do Recife

THE SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVES OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE ITAPARICA RESERVOIR IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL

Over 20 years after the implementation of irrigation schemes in the surrounding area of the Itaparica Reservoir, in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, insufficient infrastructure and low market power still impact smallholders’ incomes and development of market strategies to support rental increase from the smallholders. Lack of access to credit, high input costs, and low producer prices for major crops have helped to maintain the poverty status of smallholders that equally affects small agricultural producers like cattle breeders. Agricultural cooperatives have contributed to increase their members’ market power in agricultural commerce and facilitate their access to credit and agricultural expansion. To analyze the historical context of this situation, as well as the potentials and constraints of agricultural cooperatives and associations, 24 qualitative expert interviews were conducted among members of cooperatives or associations and consultants involved with technical assistance to smallholders. During the study period, no active agricultural cooperatives could be identified. Financial problems related with lack of financial resources, inadequate government support, absence of leadership and poor organization, and missing solidarity and mistrust were considered the main reasons for the cooperatives’ poor situation. However, the potential of these cooperatives are illustrated by the efficiency of the fishery and apiculture associations

Desempenho reprodutivo usando distâncias diferentes para o pré-condicionamento do efeito macho em caprinos durante dois períodos climáticos distintos

The objective of the present study was to determine if separation distance between bucks and does during two distinct climate seasons could affect the reproductive performance of goats subjected to a 45-day mating season (MS). Anglo Nubian does (n = 120) were kept apart from bucks at distances of 2 m (T1), 300 m (T2), and 2000 m (T3) for 60 days prior to the 45-day MS during two distinct climate seasons [dry season (DS, February to March) and rainy season (RS, September to October)] in Sertânia, Pernambuco state, Brazil. There were no effects of distance of separation between bucks and does in any response variable evaluated. However, during the DS, the mean of the first estrous manifestation varied significantly (P&gt;0.05) between groups [7.13±4.49 (T1), 8.84±5.64 (T2), and 6.37±4.21 (T3) days] and during the RS [7.33±5.74 (T1), 6.60±4.88 (T2) and 8.10±4.87 (T3) days]. Similar (P&gt;0.05) estrous induction rates were found during both the DS [100.00% (T1), 100.00% (T2) and 95.50% (T3)] and the RS [100.00% (T1), 100.00% (T2) and 100.00% (T3)]. The estrous synchronization rate was found to be lower during the DS [36.60%; 30.00% (T1), 35.00% (T2) and 45.00% (T3)] than during the RS [56.60%; 50.00% (T1), 60.00% (T2) and 60.00% (T3)]. Pregnancy rates during the DS [P&gt;0.05; 80.00% (T1), 70.00% (T2) and 75.00% (T3)] were lower than during the RS [P&gt;0.05; 90.00% (T1), 90.00% (T2) and 95.00%(T3)]. In summary, the separation distance between bucks and does did not affect the reproductive outcome of Anglo Nubian goats over a 45-day MS under tropical conditions. Greater reproductive outcome was observed during the RS than the DS regardless of the separation distance between bucks and does.</span

Role of Male effect on Reproductive Efficiency of Nulliparous Santa Inês and Morada Nova ewes raised in Different Regions

Background: The male effect is an attractive strategy to increase herd production by concentrating mating events and deliveries and further allowing the adoption of genetic improvement programs. It holds similar efficiency to those chemically based estrous synchronization methods, but has the advantage of being a natural method. The work was aimed to evaluate the influence of male effect on estrous induction and synchronization, pregnancy and prolificacy of nulliparous Santa Inês and Morada Nova ewes raised in Semiarid and Zona da Mata regions of Pernambuco state.Materials, Methods & Results: Santa Inês (n = 80) and Morada Nova (n = 80) females, with age from 11 to 12 months, after being evaluated and selected, were identified with plastic ear tags, weighted and maintained isolated from males, during 30 days before experiment onset, without any physical, visual, olfactive and auditive contact. Estrous events were observed twice a day (6:00 and 16:00 h) by trained personnel, during a breeding season of 60 days, and estrous were considered synchronized when detected, within first five days of breeding season. Rams of Santa Inês (n = 2) and Morada Nova (n = 2) breeds were selected based upon reproductive capacity by an andrology exam, and were marked on the externum bone region with a wax and ink (4:1) mixture, and were marked in female lots in order to identify females in estrous. After ten days of breeding season onset, rams were again marked with the same wax and ink mixture, but with a different ink color. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed on day 30 by ultrasonography and confirmed on day 60 after the last mating. The statistical analysis was performed using SAS, version 8. Differences of 5% (P 0.05). The total pregnancy was 42.50% on first, 64.70% on second service and total delivery was 86.20% singletons, 12.06% twins and 3.33% triples with prolificacy of 1.15 ± 0.31. On both Semiarid and Zona da Mata regions, the majority of estrous events occurred between the11th and 15th day of the breeding season for Santa Inês ewes and between 6th and 10th day for Morada Nova ewes.Discussion: The occurrence of estrous, for both breeds, in both regions, were detected throughout the breeding seasons, despite most estrous detections were within the initial fifteen days, which normally happens with cycling pluriparous females, in disagreement with findings in the literature that young females display lower reproductive performance on the first breeding season. However, the sexual inexperience of young females is not equivalent to lack of male receptivity, since then, could not be responsible for late estrous onset in a breeding season of young females. In agreement with this statement, and based on the data described here, it has been described that young ewes display estrous within the initial 18 days of breeding season onset. The estrous dispersion in biostimulation programs is normally due to female cyclicity, a physiological condition that lowers the sensibility to estradiol negative feedback response, but are still responsible to the presence of males

Influence of male-to-female ratio and climatic conditions on the reproductive performance of Anglo Nubian goats

The objective of this study was to test the “male effect” on the reproductive performance of Anglo Nubian does (n = 180), aged between 24 and 60 months, under different male-to-female ratios (1:20 – T20, 1:30 – T30, and 1:40 – T40) and climatic conditions (dry season – DS, and rainy season – RS). Does were randomly distributed into three groups (T20, T30, and T40) and were isolated from bucks at a distance of 300 m for 60 days before the start of the experiments. The first manifestation of estrous during the DS occurred 6.83 ± 4.54 (T20), 6.72 ± 4.56 (T30) and 7.05 ± 5.23 (T40) days following the onset of the breeding season (P&gt;0.05). In the RS, onset of estrous was observed 6.60 ± 4.74 (T20), 6.70 ± 4.43 (T30) and 7.46 ± 4.54 (T40) days after the beginning of the breeding season (P&gt;0.05). Estrous induction in females during the DS occurred in 95% (T20), 80% (T30), and 75.5% (T40) of all females. During the RS, estrous detection reached 100% (T20), 100% (T30), and 97.5% (T40) of all females, with no difference between all RS and DS groups. Estrous synchronization during the DS occurred in 35.00% (T20), 36.66% (T30), and 32.50% (T40) of all females, for an average occurrence of 34.72%. During the RS, synchronization occurred in 65% (T20), 70% (T30) and 62.25% (T40) of all females, for an average occurrence of 65.75%; no difference was detected between the RS and the DS. Pregnancy rates in the DS groups were 65.0% (T20), 70.0% (T30), and 62.5% (T40), while pregnancy rates in the RS were 90.0% (T20), 86.6% (T30), and 95.0% (T40). No difference was observed for conception rates between any of the RS and DS groups. Prolificacy during the DS was 1.30 (T20), 1.30 (T30) and 1.35 (T40), while in the RS prolificacy was 1.29 (T20), 1.25 (T30) and 1.30 (T40). Thus, the male effect can be used effectively for goats under 1:20–1:40 male-to-female ratios in a 45-day mating season under varying climatic conditions