PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Short report: Spatial distribution and growth of sheep farming in Brazilian Amazon.

  • Andréia Santana Bezerra,
  • Caio Cezar Ferreira de Souza,
  • Marcos Antônio Souza Dos Santos,
  • Cyntia Meireles Martins,
  • Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes,
  • Alfredo Kingo Oyama Homma,
  • José de Brito Lourenço Júnior

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278691
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 12
p. e0278691

Abstract

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Sheep farming has grown substantially in the Brazilian Amazon over the previous three decades. This article analyzes the spatial distribution and the dynamics of sheep herd growth using data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics-IBGE from 1990 to 2020. The sheep herd growth rates and densities were estimated to assess its dynamics. Maps were then drawn up to show the spatial dynamics of these variables. The highest concentration of herds in the last decade (2010) occurred in Pará, Mato Grosso, and Maranhão states. For each decade there were different growth patterns, but for the entire period (1990 to 2020), there was growth in Mato Grosso, Pará, Maranhão, Tocantins, and Amazonas micro-regions states. The highest density of herd (animals per area) was observed in Maranhão. The potential points for development identified in this study may support strategic planning aimed at strengthening the activity in the region.