Comercialização da carne bovina no Paraguai: uma abordagem de margem

Abstract

The aim of this piece of work was to realize a both structural and behavioral analysis on the beef agroindustrial chain in Paraguay. For such purpose, the efficiency ofthe commercialization in each ofthe existing leveis or market institution in the chain was evaluated, by estimating the margin of commercialization in different leveis of the producers'market - wholesale and retail - and also by estimating the price - transmition elasticity as an additional element to the commercialization margin which helps to identify the influence of one segment over another, in market power, and price determination. By analysing commercialization margins as well as the producers'participation, evidences were obtained that show that the beef agroindustrial chain market features a certain deegree ofinefficiency, the producers'participation amounting to 35.83%, 34.48% for wholesale commercialization margin, 29.69% for retail and 64.17% for total commercialization. Such results demonstrate that a signifícant part of the price paid by the customer is retained by the hands of intermediators, whilst the wholesale segment retains a higher amount, as compared to retail, which grants wholesale segment a certain degree of market power, coinciding with the theory according to which the wholesale segment performs some type ofoligopoly, thus indicating market imperfection. Through the analysis on price-transmition elasticity in the adopted model, one observes that the producers' prices are influenced by the wholesale prices, which suffer influence from the producers' and retailers'prices, the latter being influenced more intensily by the wholesale price variations, and, less intensily, by the producers'price variations. Thus the wholesale segment does have influence to a certain levei on both producers' and retailers' prices, and consequently, on price formation. Retail influences wholesale, but not production. Special attention must be paid to commercialization costs, as well as to the establishment of a vertical union among ali the different market leveis so as to obtain a more efficient coordination which will lead to a higher degree ofmarket efficiency in the bovine meat agroindustrial chain ofParaguay.