Análise do mercado de frutas in natura do município de São Luís – MA

Abstract

The consumption of fruit in the world and in Brazil has been growing every year, so much so that in the country, fruitculture is one of the most prominent sectors of agribusiness. On the other hand, the state of Maranhão, despite having productive potential for fruit, is still dependent on other states to supply the demand for fruit. Given this, the objective of this research was to analyze the current trends of the fruit market in the municipality of São Luís based on the profile of its consumers and characteristics of the wholesale and retail market. The research is descriptive, using primary and secondary data. The primary data were obtained by applying questionnaires to consumers remotely through the Google Forms tool and to wholesalers and retailers in person, following all the safety protocols established due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The secondary data were obtained through a bibliographic review of scientific papers, such as articles and monographs. All statistical analyses were performed using the Excel program (Microsoft Office Excel). The results showed that consumers consume fruit not only for its taste, but also for its nutritional composition and for choice they consider other factors besides price such as quality, appearance and taste and aroma as being determinant for buying fruit. The supermarket is dominant in the consumers' choice of place to buy, because it has fruits with good quality and regularity, besides offering more hygiene and comfort to consumers. In the wholesale sector, it can be observed that the Cooperativa dos Hortifrutigranjeiros do Maranhão Cohortifrut/Ceasa shares space with the João Paulo Public Market. The retail sector presented an increase in the number of supermarkets, fruit stores and grocery stores in São Luís, making it possible for the consumer to have more purchasing possibilities. In general, the fruit production sector in the state showed low development and stimulus, reflecting the continuous dependence on products from other states for the acquisition of fruit, which reinforces the need for incentives to develop the fruit culture of Maranhão, generating jobs, income and lower prices to the final consumer