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Abstract
The sugarcane industry is strategic regarding the increasing demand for new
sources of energy alternatives to oil and byproducts, given the pressures on the raw material.
Due the future scenario that is taking shape, the ethanol produced from the sugarcane
has advantages to conquer new markets, but since it has an efficient production and that
makes a good use of existing resources. Therefore, the study analyzes the Total Factor
Productivity (TFP) and their components for 17 mills in the Center-Southern region in Brazil during the period from 2001 to 2008. The sample is considered significant because the volume of cane crushed
represents 11.5% of the total in Brazil. The methodology is based on Coelli et al. (1998), from Data Envelopment
Analysis (DEA), using the Malmquist index, which assesses the productivity levels over time, decomposing them
into indices that capture variation of the technical efficiency and technological changes. The paper concludes that the
sample is composed mostly of followers, ie, the plants do not create and adopt radical innovations. They just follow
a set move toward technologies already tested in the market and proven by other plants.