THE INCREASE OF AGRIBUSINESS IN THE CERRADOS OF THE BRAZILIAN NORTHERN CENTER: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This paper analyzes which regions in the Cerrados of the Brazilian Northern Center have achieved a significant growth as Agribusiness Productive Region. For this purpose, I of Moran Global and Local is used in order to detect the existence of spatial autocorrelation. The study period between 2005 and 2015, and the main source of data comes from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The results demonstrated that this part of Brazil has different types of spatial dynamics. The Immediate Region of Balsas-MA and the Intermediate Region of Barreiras-BA consolidated as the main areas of regional agribusiness. Therefore, the Immediate Region of Uruçuí­-PI and Bom Jesus-PI and the center of Tocantins became areas of expansion of these productive activities. It was observed that in some parts of the Northern Center Cerrado´s the I of Moran local occurred the formation of municipal groupings disassociated to this productive context. Consequently, due to its transport infrastructure and favorable physical conditions, the central region of Tocantins, formed by the triad Palmas, Paraí­so and Porto Nacional, was the main responsible for boosting agribusiness in the Cerrados of the Brazilian Northern Center.