Agricultural modernization in the state of Mato Grosso

This study was developed to investigate the factors related to the agricultural modernization in the state of Mato Grosso (MT) and to determine the Agricultural Modernization Index of the municipalities of MT. The Exploratory Factor Analysis and the 2017 Brazilian Agricultural Census database were used. The main factors associated with agricultural modernization in MT were as follows: (a) adoption of technology, access to financial resources, and ownership of tractors on the property; (b) use of pesticides and the participation of rural producers in collective organizations; and (c) items of access to technical information and access to electricity service. There was heterogeneity in the level of agricultural modernization throughout MT, in which most municipalities have a low classification (94 municipalities, totaling 66.66% of all municipalities in the state). Thus, the development of public policies that expand access to technical assistance and credit services and the creation of collective organizations (associations, cooperatives, class entities, and trade unions) can contribute to reducing the of inequality in agricultural modernization in the municipalities of Mato Grosso.