Productive chain of the beef cattle production in the municipality of Altamira, State of Pará, Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian livestock industry stands out in the world scenario, consolidating the country as the second largest cattle producer and as the largest beef cattle exporter in the world. The state of Pará, Brazil is an important contributor for growth of the national cattle herd, as it has the fourth largest herd, with more than 20.4 million animals in 2014, which is highlighted by the growing of exports of live animals, which represents an addition of more than 630 million dollars to the state GDP. The municipality of Altamira is the fifth largest cattle herd in the state, with more than 680 thousand animals in 2014, which, along with agricultural production, adds about R$ 199 million to the GDP of the municipality. This study aimed to analyze and characterize the present structure of the production chain of beef cattle established in the municipality of Altamira, as well as the main performance bottlenecks and potentialities in the sector. The main limiting factors identified are related to the lack of organization of the productive system and the lack of processing industries.