Marilia and Garcia
The Midwest Paulista is a great region of the state of Sao Paulo which stood out in the last part of the 19th century until the mid 20th century along with the Northeast and Northwest Paulista, as the main coffee region in the state. The harvest boosted the economy and the local colonization during that period.
Currently the region still relies on the strong presence of the agriculture sector for its economy. This is associated with a significant growth in the third sector, since the end of the 20th century.
The Midwest Paulista boosted the agro business in the state during 19th and 20th century. An important economic part of the national scene, the region turned out to be one of the main keystones in coffee production.
The harvest was responsible for the economic leverage and the local colonization of that period. A second survey done by Diario , showed an estimate that Brazil exported almost 3,400,000 tons of coffee in the first decades of 19th century with a great part coming from the state of Sao Paulo.
Harvests would mainly go to Europe. The region of Marilia was one of the main coffee zones responsible for the abundant production of this staple. However the title “The Queen of the Coffee” was lost in the long run. In place of the coffee harvest other crops have gained ground and also have been adapted to new production and harvest technologies.
The region of Marilia attracts growers due to its fertile soil. It’s obvious that the coffee plantation was prized for its commercial value. This objective was linked to exportation. In the past centuries corn and rice plantations were only used for the family’s use. The scenario began to change in the middle of the decades of 1940’s and 1950’s when cotton and peanuts began to have a commercial value.
The region reached an area of over 50,000 hectares of coffee plantation. Today, the number has reduced to 28,000 hectares. However, due to changes in technology, they produce more than in those times.
