São Paulo: agribusiness products in ports contribute to job creation

Agribusiness products in ports in São Paulo must have contributed to the generation of jobs in the state, evaluates economist Roberto Dardis. An example of this is the Port of Santos, which according to data released by the Port Authority of Santos (APS), products such as soy, cellulose, citrus juices and fertilizer gained prominence in the movement in April. The result for vegetable solid bulk was a record for the month, with 7.6 million tons handled.

“Agribusiness is in a period of growth, new investments are being made and many companies are interested. With the improvements that are being made in the ports, they favor very large arrivals of grains, and with the conclusion of transport by rail, they reached the ports faster and cheaper”, points out Dardis.

Economist Luigi Bellei explains that the improvement in employment levels in São Paulo in April was driven almost exclusively by agribusiness, since the service sector and industry did not grow as much as expected. According to the New General Register of Employed and Unemployed People (Caged), the agribusiness sector in São Paulo ended April with a positive balance of jobs: the number of admissions exceeded the number of dismissals by 3.8 thousand vacancies.

In 2022, agribusiness was also one of the highlights of São Paulo’s economy. Of the 10 municipalities in São Paulo with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, five had farming as their main activity: Onda Verde, Colombia, Motuca, Gavião Peixoto and Altair.

future projections

For Roberto Dardis, the prospects are the best possible, since with projections of an increase in this year’s crops, and with the reinforcement of transport by rail, deliveries to ports should accelerate even more.

Luigi Bellei, on the other hand, states that the growth of job openings in São Paulo is on the path of agricultural growth, but it is important to be cautious. “Bear in mind that a large part of the good productivity of agriculture is affected by seasonal conditions, such as the rains, which were ideal in this period for the southeast”, he warns. He also points out that sectors such as trade and construction may have higher rates of expansion compared to April.