Market Behavior for in Shell Brazil Nuts Produced in Brazil from 2000 to 2010

Comportamento do Mercado da Castanha-do-Brasil com Casca Produzida no Brasil de 2000 a 2010

ABSTRACT

This paper aimed to analyze the market behavior of in shell Brazil nuts produced by Brazil during the period of 2000 to 2010. In order to do it, structural brakes in the data were identified, the existence of correlations between the variables price, quantity and value was investigated; and the shift of the supply and demand curves was described for the nuts production. The trend model was used to identify the direction of the shift, by calculating the growth rates of national prices and of produced quantities. When analyzing the whole period (2000-2010), there was a positive shift of the demand curve, but when separately analyzing the two sub periods defined by the Chow test (2000-2005 and 2006-2010), a negative shift of the supply curve was identified on the first sub period, while the second subperiod revealed a positive shift of the supply curve. The results showed that the market of Brazil nuts is ascending and that the government’s incentive policies to the activity were effective.

Keywords:
forest economics; non-timber forest products; Brazil nuts