The primary objective of this paper is to select the leading agricultural activities and to assess theirs distribution among the 40 Rural Development Offices (EDR) in São Paulo State .The specific objectives of this study are: (1) to identify the distribution of the total agricultural productions values of the 28 leading activities among the Rural Development Offices (EDR); (2) to identify the most important leading activity in each EDR, and (3) to classify the leading activities all over the State of São Paulo.

An Overview

            São Paulo comprises an area of 247,898 square kilometers located within the southeast region of Brazil. The state lies between latitude 20 degree and 25-degree south and meridian 44-degree to 53-degree west. Its southeastern border is the Atlantic Ocean and its western border extends nearly to the country of Paraguay.
            A peculiar geographic feature influences the climate – an extensive mountain formation, which is, parallels the coast. A humid-tropical coastal plain lies between this mountain range and the ocean, while the areas to the north and west of the range are characterized by rolling plains and a sub-tropical climate. Seasonal changes are apparent in the plain region of the state, and winter temperatures can fall to freezing levels. Most of the rainfall occurs between October and March with annual precipitation averaging 1,300 millimeters.
            In its native state virtually all of the area now comprising São Paulo was covered with dense forests. For this reason soils have been relatively high in humus and generally quite fertile in many region of the State and jointly with the great climate diversity, production possibilities exist for a wide range of agricultural products.
            A characteristic observed throughout the Brazilian economy has been the spectacular growth of the industrial sector and the long-term agriculture sector decline relative to its national income contribution.
            The Brazilian gross national income has increased from US$ 45,107 million (1970) to U$ 804,182 (1997), while São Paulo State contribution to national income was over 39,00% during 1970-75 and it declined to 35,48% in 1997 (Table I) . São Paulo is still leading as the greatest contributor of value added tax (ICMS) which has steadily been decreasing from 47,31% (1974) to 37,18% (1999) and its contribution was greater than the total contribution of four Brazilian regions: North, Northeast, South, and Center-West. Over and above that São Paulo ICMS participation has been shortening with total levy of ICMS around US$ 39,00 billion.
            When the oil crisis began in 1973, the São Paulo State Government took a remarkable advantage by promoting the PROÁLCOOL program (1975) in order to rearrange the land use toward an alcohol production to replace oil importation, which started a profound change not only in the agricultural sector but also in the industry and service sectors.
            The sugar-cane started to play a more important role in the São Paulo State economy, since it jumped its participation in the leading agricultural product value from 12,16% (1974) to over 30,00% during the 1990s. The sugar-cane yield has been steady 78.5 tons per hectare with a sugar production around 8.0 billion of tons and an alcohol production of 8.86 liters.
            The cropped total area in São Paulo State is around 20 million of hectares and pasture occupies over 10 millions of hectare with 12.7 million of head cattle.
            São Paulo agriculture is outstanding with fertile soils and adequate weather that allows the planting of crops from different climates, such as coffee and wheat.

Results and Conclusions

            This articles relied primarily on planted area and production data supplied by the São Paulo's Secretary of Agricultural, especially the Institute of Agricultural Economics (IEA) jointly with Coordination of Technical Assistance (CATI). The prices for the farmers come from a monthly survey based on 731 strategic point distributed all over the 645 counties (municípios) of São Paulo assorted in 40 Rural Development Offices (EDR). The computer program VALPROD allows the estimation of the production values depending upon the aggregate concern, such as county, EDR, state and others.
            An activity becomes the most important activity (MIA) or the main activity , when one or two activities sum up more than 30.00% EDR production total values. A closer look in figure 1 reveals several informations about activity production total values (VP) among the 40 EDR.The numbers inside of the map identify where the EDR is locate, that is 33- Registro is on the South, 16- Guaratinguetá is on the East and 32-Presidente Wenceslau is on the West. It shows the delineation of the 40 EDR and the letters inside the EDR represents the MIA, that is in the 33-Registro the letters BA are Bananas, the letters inside 35- São João da Boa Vista CT are Coffee and Potato . Figure 1 shows how the 28-activity production total value of the EDRs is distributed along the State according to the grade differentiation. Table II summarizes the descriptive tabulation of the 40 Rural Development Offices (EDR) numbers and leading activities total values. Twelve EDR respond for 49.37% of São Paulo activity production total values and each one of these had a total values over R$ 300 million. Twenty - five EDR are in the range over R$ 100 million to less than R$ 200 million which represent 49.14 % of VP.
            Table III lists the 40-EDR according to the VP and the MIA. The highest-ranking EDR was 35- São João da Boa Vista with a VP of R$618.139 million that represented 6.17% VP. The MIA was Coffee and Potatoes with R$216.662 million that represented 35.05% of this EDR. With a VP over R$303.1 were 03-Araraquara, 06-Barretos, 27-Orlandia, 04-Assis, 22-Limeira, 34-Ribeirão Preto, 36-São José do Rio Preto, 2- Araçatuba, 26-Mogi Mirim and 14-Franca (they were located at Northeast of São Paulo State except 04-Assis and 2- Araçatuba), worthwile to notice that 12 EDRs were responsible for 49.37% of the State production total values.
            Sugar cane was MIA in 15 EDRs, beef was MIA in 9 EDRs, milk was MIA in 5 EDRs and coffee and chicken were MIA in 3 EDRs.
            Table IV shows how the 28 leading activity production total values have evolved in the 1996/97, 1997/98,and 1998/99 cropped years, particularly noteworthy the participation in the last year of eight activities over 5.00% each , that is sugar-cane (23.44%), beef (10.75%), chicken (8.25%), industry orange (6.68%), coffee (6.47%), eggs (6.11%), type C milk (5.90%) and corn (5.57%). The sugar cane has been the dominat activity, although it has decreased from R$ 3.77 billion (1996/97) to R$ 2.35 billion (1998/99, 1 dollar = R$1.85). Worthwhile to notice that sugar -cane is the most important activity in 15 EDR. The beef activity has been the second most important, a total value over R$ 1.07 billion and jointly with sugar-cane represent 34.19% of the São Paulo leading agricultural activity total values. 

^{Source: State system of Data Analysis (Fundação Sistema de Análise de Dados –Seade), Gétulio Vargas Foundation (Fundação Getulio Vargas- FGV).
a In US$ billion. Aucthors’s computation.}

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Figure 1 – Delineation of the 40-Rural Development Offices (EDR) , the Distribution of the Production Total Values (EDR) and Indentification of the Most Important Activities (MIA) in the State of São Paulo,1999. 

Rural Development Offices (EDR): Main Activities:

01 – Andradina	21 - Jaú		BA	Bananas
02 – Araçatuba	22 - Limeira		BF	Potato + Beans
03 – Araraquara	23 - Lins		BL	Beef+Milk
04 – Assis	24 - Marília		BV	Beans
05 – Avaré	25 - Moji das Cruzes		CA	Sugar Cane
06 – Barretos	26 - Mogi-Mirim		CB	Sugar Cane+Beef
07 – Bauru	27 - Orlândia		CC	Sugar Cane + Coffee
08 – Botucatu	28 - Ourinhos		CE	Onion
09 - Bragança Paulista	29 - Pindamonhangaba		CF	Coffee
10 – Campinas	30 - Piracicaba		CO	Sugar Cane + Eggs
11 – Catanduva	31 - Presidente Prudente		CS	Sugar Cane + Soybeans
12 – Dracena	32 - Presidente Wenceslau		CT	Coffee + Potaoes
13 – Fernadópolis	33 - Registro		FB	Beans + Beef
14 – Franca	34-- Ribeirão Preto		FL	Chicken + Orange
15 - General Salgado	35 - São João da Boa Vista		FR	Chicken
16 – Guaratinguetá	36 - São José do Rio Preto		LJ	Orange
17 – Itapetininga	37 - São Paulo		LT	Milk
18 – Itapeva	38 - Sorocaba		OV	Eggs
19 – Jaboticabal	39 - Tupã		TO	Tomatoes
20 – Jales	40 - Votuporanga

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TABLE II. Descriptive Tabulation of the 40 Rural Development Office (EDR) Numbers and the 28 Leading Activity Production Total Values, 1998/999 Cropped Year.

Range	Rural Development Office (EDR)			Total Production Values
R$ million	Frequency	Percentage	Cumulative %	Percentage	Cumulative %
400 and over	6	15.00	15.00	28.73	28.73
300-less 400	6	15.00	30.00	20.64	49.37
200-less 300	14	35.00	65.00	34.16	83.52
100-less 200	11	27.50	92.50	14.98	98.49
Less than 100	3	7.50	100.00	1.49	100.00

                   ^{Source: Aucthors’s computation.}

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Table III The Rural Development Office (EDR) Main Activity (MIA) and 28 Leading Activity Production Values in the EDR (VP_j) over São Paulo State, 19978/99 Cropped Year ^a.

EDR	Main Activities	Main Activity Production Total Values	%	VP	%	%
35 - SAO JOAO DA BOA VISTA	Coffee +Potatoes	216.662	35,05	618.139	6,17	6,17
03 – ARARAQUARA	Sugar-cane	169.148	32,56	519.414	5,19	11,36
06 – BARRETOS	Sugar-cane	162.410	33,43	485.802	4,85	16,21
27 – ORLANDIA	Sugar-cane	237.759	55,42	429.000	4,28	20,49
04 – ASSIS	Sugar-cane + Soybean	229.329	54,38	421.664	4,21	24,70
22 – LIMEIRA	Sugar-cane	125.448	31,04	404.033	4,03	28,74
34 - RIBEIRAO PRETO	Sugar-cane	269.036	67,45	398.821	3,98	32,72
19 - JABOTICABAL	Sugar-cane	143.680	37,89	379.185	3,79	36,51
36 - SAO JOSE DO RIO PRETO	Chicken + Industry Orange	113.496	33,47	339.084	3,39	39,89
02 - ARACATUBA	Eggs + Sugar-cane	160.576	48,13	333.630	3,33	43,22
26 - MOGI MIRIM	Industry Orange + Chicken	98.728	31,60	312.408	3,12	46,34
14 - FRANCA	Coffee	134.379	44,32	303.171	3,03	49,37
21 - JAU	Sugar-cane	171.929	60,28	285.206	2,85	52,22
17 - ITAPETININGA	Potatoes + Beans	97.733	35,29	276.922	2,77	54,98
23 - LINS	Type C Milk	115.248	41,87	275.196	2,75	57,73
30 - PIRACICABA	Sugar-cane	127.179	46,77	271.922	2,72	60,45
05 - AVARE	Beans + Beef	99.324	36,73	270.390	2,70	63,15
11 - CATANDUVA	Sugar-cane	91.170	34,47	264.477	2,64	65,79
38 - SOROCABA	Onion	80.955	33,07	244.749	2,44	68,23
01 - ANDRADINA	Beef	131.008	54,85	238.808	2,38	70,62
28 - OURINHOS	Sugar-cane + Coffee	89.928	38,70	232.337	2,32	72,94
18 - ITAPEVA	Edible Tomatoes	91.923	41,19	223.133	2,23	75,16
31 - PRESIDENTE PRUDENTE	Beef	73.598	34,75	211.777	2,11	77,28
39 - TUPA	Eggs	94.757	44,94	210.818	2,11	79,38
08 - BOTUCATU	Chicken	70.886	33,62	210.801	2,10	81,49
15 - GENERAL SALGADO	Beef	65.921	32,30	204.042	2,04	83,53
09 - BRAGANCA PAULISTA	Chicken	73.460	41,34	177.672	1,77	85,30
25 - MOGI DAS CRUZES	Eggs	126.610	83,84	151.002	1,51	86,81
10 - CAMPINAS	Chicken	50.295	34,10	147.462	1,47	88,28
07 - BAURU	Sugar-cane	43.900	30,44	144.205	1,44	89,72
33 - REGISTRO	Banana	118.372	82,11	144.157	1,44	91,16
20 - JALES	Beef + Type C Milk	49.347	36,57	134.905	1,35	92,51
32 - PRESIDENTE VENCESLAU	Beef	67.071	51,19	131.002	1,31	93,82
40 - VOTUPORANGA	Beef + Sugar-cane	54.830	42,35	129.450	1,29	95,11
24 - MARILIA	Coffee	49.033	38,98	125.764	1,26	96,36
13 - FERNANDOPOLIS	Beef + Type C Milk	39.458	36,95	106.787	1,07	97,43
12 - DRACENA	Beef + Sugar-cane	45.366	42,66	106.337	1,06	98,49
29 - PINDAMONHAGABA	Type C Milk + Type B Milk	31.197	41,57	75.031	0,75	99,24
16 - GUARATINGUETA	Type C Milk	14.698	30,77	47.756	0,48	99,72
37 - SÃO PAULO	Banana	14.975	53,64	27.916	0,28	100,00
ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO	.	.	.	10.014.397	100,00	.

                   ^{aValues are in Real(R$), deflated for march 1999.
                   Source: Aucthors’s computations , see text.}

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TABLE IV. Leading Agricultural Product Total Values in São Paulo State 1996/97, 1997/98 e 1998/99 Crop Years.

.	Total Agricultural Value ( 1,000 R$)1			Total Agricultaral Value (%)
Agricultural Product	1996/97	1997/98	1998/99	1996/97	1997/98	1998/99
Sugar Cane	3771591	3620514</FONT