Estratégias de piscicultores familiares inseridos em associações da região de Palmas/TO para acesso aos canais de comercialização

Abstract

Commercialization is one of the biggest difficulties faced by family farmers in the process of productive inclusion. In the case of family fish farming, despite the growth in fish production and consumption in the state of Tocantins, fish farmers still face barriers to accessing formal markets. This is due to the low added value of the products, the high production costs, the difficulties in formalizing to obtain sanitary inspection and the low level of social organization. In this context, associative organizations emerge as a viable alternative for the productive inclusion of fish farmers, as they facilitate their structuring and maintenance in the market. By organizing themselves, these producers increase their chances of accessing specific public policies and receive specialized technical support, which contributes to improving productivity and commercialization. In this context, the purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the strategies adopted by family fish farmers inserted in associations in the region of Palmas/TO to access the marketing channels of their products, based on the theory of typologies of family farming markets formulated by Schneider (2016). The research covered three associations of family fish farmers in the Palmas region and had 26 face-to-face interviews. The methodology adopted ensured precision in the collection and analysis of data and in the identification of the difficulties faced by family fish farmers with regard to the commercialization of fish. The results of the study indicate that the Bom Peixe and Peixe do Segredo associations operate in short agri-food chains, Brejinho de Nazaré is inserted in a long chain, with greater dependence on intermediaries. However, access to the institutional market is still a challenge, since none of the fish farmers interviewed sell fish through this market. Marketing strategies vary: Bom Peixe prioritizes fairs, Peixe do Segredo makes direct sales, and Brejinho de Nazaré trusts in the partnership with the slaughterhouse. The formation of prices also differs, with greater autonomy in Peixe do Segredo and less control in Brejinho de Nazaré. Be that as it may, it is concluded that the associations of family fish farmers in the Palmas region are fundamental to organize the production and commercialization of fish, facilitating access to markets, technical assistance and public policies, even if it has been verified so far that the actions are more individual than collective. Despite the potential of the associations, challenges such as certification, poor infrastructure and bureaucracy limit the growth of family fish farming. To do so, they need to seek investment strategies, simplification of processes and strengthening of governance to increase the competitiveness of the sector given the specificities of the fish chain, especially in what confers its perishability.