Dinâmica tecnológica e da produção agropecuária em Minas Gerais entre 1996 e 2006

This paper aims to analyze the use of factors of production, as well as the impacts of technological changes in the agricultural and husbandry sector of Minas Gerais, during the period of 1996-2006. It was used the Malmquist total factor productivity index in order to identify regions in which technological progress had occurred. Based on this analysis it can be seen that 67% of the microregions presented some kind of technological advancement. Then the technological changes were analyzed so that they could be classified as capital-saving or labor-saving. It was found that the regions in which technological progress had occurred are responsible for 84% of the agricultural and husbandry production in the state. Another point observed was the significant predominance of labor-saving technologies. This new dynamics in agricultural and husbandry technologies in the state of Minas Gerais has impacted the use of factors, reducing the production elasticity of labor and increasing the production elasticity of capital.