Delineation of agricultural systems in a major tropical area of cacao production (Barlovento, Venezuela) by means of multivariate analysis

Abstract

Agricultural systems in the Barlovento Valley, a major tropical area of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) production, were studied according to multivariate statistical methods based on factor analysis. Basic data of samples were selected at random from a census of 850 production units, encompassing three main components of the systems: producer's economic rationality, technology, and natural environment. Thirty simple variables were reduced to 11 compound variables or factors. Results indicated that the main factors were related to the technological and economic rationality components of the agricultural systems. Factors were classified by a cluster analysis and farms were grouped into five sets, which defined a spatial pattern in the Barlovento Valley.

Se estudiaron los sistemas agrícolas ubicados en el Valle de Barlovento, Venezuela -principal área tropical productora de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). Se usaron métodos estadísticos multivariados con base en el factor análisis. Se seleccionaron al azar datos básicos de un total de 850 unidades de producción censadas, a partir de tres componentes fundamentales de los sistemas agrícolas: racionalidad económica del productor, tecnología y entorno natural. Se escogieron once variables compuestas de treinta variables simples. Los resultados indicaron que los factores principales se relacionaron con los componentes tecnológicos y de racionalidad económica de los sistemas agrícolas. Los factores se clasificaron por medio del análisis de conglomerados, agrupando las fincas en cinco grupos, las cuales definieron un modelo especial en el Valle de Barlovento.