Technical, economic and social dimensions of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) in animal feed: a study with the application of multivariate data analysis

The objective of this research was to make a diagnosis of the use of cane in animal feed, to know the technological dimension in which is inserted, and to raise opportunities for acting. A questionnaire collected the information on producers. The database was composed of 76 producers and 18 questions, analyzed by the techniques of factor analysis and cluster analysis. In 40% of the properties the work is familiar, in 40% fixed personnel are hired and in 20% other compositions. The area of the properties was less than 20 hectares in 45% of the responses. In 92% of the properties, the main activity is cattle raising, and in 75% of them sugarcane is used for animal feed. Producers with greater specialization in animal husbandry do the best applicability of sugarcane in animal feed. The most varied systems of animal husbandry use sugarcane, whether or there is no technological intensification. The biggest gap observed was the lack of adequate technological diffusion for the potential use of sugarcane for forage purposes by the producers. In this way, one can say that there is much to do for the efforts and resources employed in scientific research to reach the rural producer.