Abstract

MOLINA-ROMERO, Adriana M.; OSTOS-TRIANA, Manuel E.; BUENAVENTURA-BARON, Mario S.  and  ARGUELLES-CARDENAS, Jorge H.. Characterising and socioeconomic classification of transitory crop producers working in the Piedmont area of Colombia’s Eastern plains and flat high plains areas. Orinoquia [online]. 2020, vol.24, n.1, pp.113-127. ISSN 0121-3709.  https://doi.org/10.22579/20112629.596.

This work involved the socioeconomic typing and characterisation of transitory rice, corn and soybean crop producers in the Piedmont area of Colombia’s Eastern plains and flat high plains areas through a structured survey carried out during the 2019A semester. This was complemented by general information provided by the trade/producers’ associations (Fenalce (cereal growers’ association) and Fedearroz (rice growers’ federation)) and the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation (Agrosavia) to improve and guide institutional and sector policies according to the producers’ current conditions. Sample size was determined by stratified sampling with proportional allocation (5% margin of error and 95% confidence level); this gave 85 producers, 62 of whom were located in the Piedmont area and 23 on the high plains. The producers were classified into homogeneous groups using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) multivariate techniques, with eighteen production-system-related social and economic variables. The results led to typing and characterising five groups of producers: 1) those having high income and higher education levels (mainly corn farmers) (n=18), 2) corn and soybean farmers relying on greater use of family labour and being dependent on banks/financial institutions (n=16), 3) mostly older soy farmers having great experience (n=18), 4) mostly rice farmers having basic primary education and unpaved roads (n=27) and 5) corn and rice farmers linked to Colombia’s system of identifying social programme beneficiaries (SISBEN) using their own investment resources (n=6).

Keywords : Orinoquia; agricultural system; cluster; short cycle cultivation; multivariate analysis.

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