SPATIAL CONCENTRATION AND SPECIALIZATION OF HONEY PRODUCTION IN THE STATE OF PARÁ

Abstract

This article analyzes the spatial concentration and specialization of honey production in the state of Pará, Brazil. Time series data on honey production quantity, gross production value, number of honey-producing establishments, number of beehives per establishment, and productivity were used for the 22 microregions of the state in the years 1996, 2006, and 2017, obtained from the Agricultural Censuses of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Productive concentration was assessed using the Locational Gini Index (GL), and specialization was assessed using the Normalized Concentration Index (NCI), which results from a weighted combination of the Location Quotient (LQ), the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), and the Relative Participation (RP). The results indicate that, in 1996, honey production showed strong spatial concentration, with a predominance of a few production centers. Throughout the period, a process of territorial deconcentration is observed, with greater intensity between 1996 and 2006, followed by a phase of spatial accommodation. The analysis of specialization indicators reveals the maintenance of traditionally specialized microregions, such as Bragantina and Guamá, and the rise of new productive centers, especially Salgado and Cametá, which have come to play a prominent role in state production. The results point to a more widespread spatial structure, but still concentrated in the microregions of Northeastern Pará.