Agribusiness and irrigation in the Paranapanema basin (Southwest São Paulo)
About the project
The Upper Paranapanema basin, in the southwest of the state of São Paulo, is a major producer of grains and horticultural crops and one of the largest irrigated areas in the state. It is also one of the regions with the lowest income and human development indicators in São Paulo. In partnership with the Southwest São Paulo Association of Irrigators and No-Till Farmers (ASPIPP), Cepea measured how much agribusiness contributes to income and jobs in the region and how much of that comes from irrigated agriculture. The reference year is 2021.
Objective
Measure the GDP and employment generated by agribusiness in 42 municipalities of the Upper Paranapanema basin, covering inputs, primary production, agroindustry, and services, and estimate the contribution of irrigated agriculture to regional GDP.
Main results
- In 2021, agribusiness generated R$ 14.8 billion in GDP and 191 thousand jobs in the region.
- Agribusiness accounted for 38.4% of regional GDP and 50.4% of regional employment, well above the state average, where agribusiness represented 18.2% of GDP.
- The region’s primary sector represented 13.3% of São Paulo’s agricultural and livestock production, although the region accounts for only 1.4% of the state’s total GDP.
- About 23% of the region’s cropland is irrigated, which corresponds to 36% of the irrigated area in the state.
- Irrigated agriculture generated at least R$ 1.37 billion in GDP, equal to 9% of regional agribusiness GDP and 4% of the region’s total GDP.
Outputs
- Technical report prepared for ASPIPP (2025).
- Results presented at Irrigashow.