The Federal District (DF) of Brazil stands out on the national scene as the seventh unit of the federation in the production of strawberries, with productivity above the national average. Most producers in DF grow in a traditional system, in the soil. In the last few years, the activity has suffered from rising production costs, mainly from the essential inputs to cultivation.
An alternative would be to adopt production technologies that make it possible to increase fruit productivity and quality and decrease seasonality. Among the technologies that can make this advance possible is hydroponic cultivation in a protected environment. However, many producers are afraid to adopt, not only because of the technical challenges of production but also because of the relatively high cost of investment and the economic return of the activity. Thus, this work aims to analyze the economic viability of strawberry production in hydroponic cultivation systems, in a protected environment, for the production and market conditions of the DF.
Three types of hydroponic production systems were analyzed the vertical PVC system, in pots and slabs on wooden benches. Information on production systems, production costs, and investments, as well as sales to market prices, were collected in the Federal District. Economic indicators, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), “payback” (PB) were analyzed, and scenario simulations were carried out. The results showed the economic viability of investments using PVC and vases, with high values of NPV and IRR for the sector, and “payback” values discounted below three years.
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Braga, Marcos & Guedes, Italo & Souza, Yuri. (2022). Economic-financial viability of the hydroponic strawberry production projects in the Federal District of Brazil. 10.13140/RG.2.2.35554.20165.