Characterization of lemon farms in the localities of Manglaralto and Colonche, (Santa Elena, Ecuador)

Abstract

This research was carried out to characterize lemon farms located at the province of Santa Elena (Ecuador). We worked with the Lemon Producers Association of Manglaralto and Colonche which has a population of 500 farmers from which a sample (n=86) was taken to conduct a survey which included technical and socio-economic questions related to lemon farming. Results showed that lemon farms are very complex, that families have a high dependence on the cultivation of lemon; A representative farmers with other types of crops within the same building group, which means that there is a little economic family income; It found that a group have economic stability monocultures doing more vulnerable because only rely on income from the sale of lemon, the same as that price changes in the year. It was found that there is a major gap in the marketing channels in the area under study. The cluster analysis using Ward's method and a distance of 900 Euclidean Square, grouped farms into four groups. One group consisted of farms number: 40, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 65, 70, 77, 82 and 86, this group of farm have similar variables, using the same pattern, similar yields and farms are associated with vegetables.