Agroindustrial system of milk in Maranhão: a prototypical analysis

Abstract:

This research aimed to identify how agents of the Agro-industrial System of milk in the South and West of Maranhão perceive and practice milk production and commercialization, and the relations among them, seeking to articulate regional competitive strategies. It is a qualitative multi-case study with a semi-structured interview script guided by the Free Word Association Technique (TALP) for data collection. We have used Multiple Frequency Analysis, Similitude Analysis, and a Prototypical matrix formulation to evaluate the results. Twenty-nine agents have participated in the interviews. They were divided into four groups, composed of institutional managers responsible for supporting the milk chain, small producers of milk and dairy products, and dairy products companies' managers. The results enable to identify a pattern of opinions about production challenges and milk commercialization essential aspects, both institutionally and organizationally. Infrastructure and transport logistics were pointed out as severe obstacles to the dairy market growth in the region. Moreover, the study has evidenced the existence of a uniform position on important criteria for the market, such as milk quality, production hygiene, animal health, mechanical milking usage, and compliance with technical assistance by producers.

Keywords:
agroindustrial system of milk; prototypical analysis; production; commercialization