This article establishes an investment series for the Brazilian agriculture sector over the period from 1980 to 1998. Brazilian agriculture investment flow information for the last two decades is found in the Brazilian Agricultural Censuses of 1980, 1985, and 1995/96 only. The basic value for the 1st series of amounts invested was taken from the 1980 Brazilian Input-Output Matrix. Values for the following years were obtained by applying the variation found in the stock of wheel tractors to agriculture investments. The 2nd series commences with the same basic value as the 1st series while values for the following years were obtained by applying the variation found in domestic sales of Brazilian manufactured wheel tractors to investments. The 3rd series takes as its basic investment values those found in the three Agricultural Censuses while variations in the internal sales of nationally manufactured wheel tractors are again applied to obtain investment values for the other years. In spite of inherent limitations, the 2nd and 3rd series are closer to reality than the 1st series. Variation in tractor sales seems to be a better proxy for agricultural investment variation than variation in tractor stock. Further, the trend of the 2nd and 3rd series seems to fit better within the economic context then 1st series’ trend.
agricultural sector; investments; Brazil
