Profile of hillbilly pork producers and consumers from Alto São Francisco region of Minas Gerais state

Abstract

Small rural properties are common in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, making the production of animals in a rustic system expressive, such as the raising of swine in an extensive or semi-extensive system. The objective was to evaluate the profile of producers and consumers of redneck swine in the Alto São Francisco Region - MG. The research was carried out in the municipality of Bambuí - MG, located in the center west of Minas Gerais. Participated in the questionnaire 16 rural producers in the region of Bambuí and 40 Bambuí residents approached at the open-air market who agreed to participate in the research. A questionnaire containing 21 questions was used, consisting of 17 open questions and 4 multiple-choice closed questions. Data analysis was carried out with the help of spreadsheets in Microsoft Office Excel® 2019. The lack of technical assistance and the dissemination of products through marketing are the main factors that negatively influence the growth of the activity. The analysis of the data obtained allows us to affirm that it is necessary to promote and structure the rustic pig farming, where 70% of the producers are unaware of the subject. 50% of the producers say they do not have technical assistance due to the price and difficulty of access to the properties, which would otherwise favor the best production and commercial rates in alternative systems. Consumers point out that pig’s meat is purchased through the local fair (50%), where the price and origin of the products are the most relevant factors at the time of purchase and 90% of consumers believe that pork can be a vector for disease transmission.