ECONOMIC VIABILITY FOR LETTUCE PRODUCTION ON HIDROPONIC SYSTEM AT COLOMBO, METROPOLITAN REGION OF CURITIBA, PR

Abstract

Hydroponic production guarantees a parallel market to that for conventionally-produced vegetables, because consumers presume that hydroponic products are of higher quality and more beneficial to health than conventionally-produced products. The main objective of this work was to show the viability of hydroponic cultivation in the production of curly lettuce and to demonstrate to producers the clear advantages of hydroponic production from a cost-benefit perspective, especially when compared to the current conventional production practices used in Colombo, one of the major vegetable producing regions in the greater metropolitan area of Curitiba, the capital of the State of Paraná, Brasil. The cultivation was done under real cultivation conditions, on the Chácara Acqua Vita. Five greenhouses were used, giving a monthly production of 3,600 heads of lettuce, with a sales price of R$ 0.60 per head. They were studied the following variables: total of costs (fixed cost + variable); production total/greenhouses/monthly; total revenue; profit/greenhouses/monthly; price obtained by heads of sold lettuce; cost for head of produced lettuce; profit for head produced lettuce; profit for five production/month greenhouses; the entrepreneur's remuneration; total of profit/month; total of investments; profit annual for five greenhouses; payment of the investment. The major contributors to the production cost were the cost of transport to the market and the cost of construction of the greenhouses. However, these two variables can be manipulated to increase profits. Despite the greater production costs, it was evidenced that about 50% of the price received by the producer was definided as the profit.