Análise comparativa dos preços de hortaliças em diferentes canais de comercialização e locais na cidade de Pelotas/RS

Abstract

The commercialization of vegetables in Brazil is characterized by price fluctuations due to seasonality, climate changes, and economic factors, impacting both producers and consumers. Another factor that may influence vegetable price variations is the marketing channels. The first study aims to analyze price variations of vegetables produced in conventional systems, considering seasonality and different marketing channels and administrative regions of the municipality of Pelotas/RS. Weekly, between December 2021 and March 2023, nominal selling prices of onions, long-life tomatoes, and carrots were collected from 18 retail establishments. To analyze the seasonality of the series, the Centralized Moving Average and Seasonal Price Indices were used. The results indicated fluctuations in the average prices, with differences of up to 314% in short periods. The highest average prices per kilogram of the three crops were more frequently found in the market channels, followed by supermarkets. The lowest prices for onions and carrots were more often observed in open-air markets in the administrative regions of Centro, São Gonçalo, and Laranjal. The second study aims to examine price variations at the Arpa-Sul fairs operating in Pelotas according to their locations. For this purpose, weekly data was collected between December 2021 and March 2023 on four vegetables (onion, carrot, gaúchotype tomato, Italian-type tomato, and pink-type potato) sold at fairs held in three central locations in the city. After data processing, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted, which found no significant differences in the prices practiced at these fairs for all studied vegetables.