Raspberry diversification: impact of the introduction on horticultural systems in Coronda, Santa Fe, Argentina: analysis of a case study.

The aim of this study was to analyze the micro-economic impact of the introduction of the raspberry crop in horticultural Coronda pymes (Santa Fe-Argentina), dedicated principally to the strawberry crop. Diversification pattern is low, mainly due to financial constraints at the farm level: it combines the main crop of strawberries with some vegetable crops, a counter-season, such as zucchini, eggplant, sweet corn, watermelon and cantaloupe. The economic results for the year 2009/2010 of a pyme were analyzed, as a case study, with a Useful Agricultural Surface of 5.5 ha and produce 2 ha of strawberry with diverse horticultural crops. The introduction of raspberry (0.5 ha) in the system results a net income equivalent to $ 59,786, a return on total capital of 12.95% and on capital landless 28.79%. These three indicators are 258%, 248%% and 236% higher than the situation without raspberry, respectively. The degree of diversification is enhanced, analyzed by entropy index, and exhibits excellent complementarity in both the financial and labor.