Dificuldades para a expansão do Pastoreio Racional Voisin, segundo a percepção de extensionistas rurais catarinenses

Abstract

The work aimed to collect the perception of rural extensionists (RE) about the possible resistance of producers to Voisin Grazing Method (VGM) and the difficulties that surround its adoption and consolidation. The sample audience included 86 RE working in the West Region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, linked to Epagri, Senar, city halls, cooperatives, NGOs, as well as self-employed professionals. The study involved the evaluation of the answers given to two open questions of a questionnaire about VGM, submitted to the technique of Content Analysis, being the analysis categories defined from the answers and their interpretation. About 70% of the RE consider that there is preconception and/or resistance from producers in relation to VGM. The difficulties identified were classified into six categories (classes of factors), related to the producer himself, the production system or model, technical assistance, technical and philosophical concepts of the VGM, the actors’ view of the method itself, and external market and conjunctural aspects. The rural producer’s limited knowledge and understanding of the method was the aspect most punctuated by the RE, having been mentioned by 55% of the participants. The low adoption of the VGM is a multicausal issue, which involves aspects of both the “inside the gate” and “outside the gate” environment, suggesting that greater adherence to the method requires actions on several fronts, including better technical capacitation and diffusion of this technology.