OPTIMIZATION MODELS AND METHODS TO SUPPORT DECISION-MAKING IN THE AGRICULTURAL PLANNING OF ORANGE CROPS

This paper addresses the crisis in Brazilian citrus growing, which is facing the smallest orange harvest in 30 years due to climatic and phytosanitary factors. This scenario raises world prices and threatens Brazil's hegemony as the main exporter of orange juice. To mitigate the problem, a mathematical optimization model is proposed aimed at strategic planning of planting, integrating variables such as plant age control and varietal balance. Developed in partnership with a large producer and validated with real data, the model indicated the possibility of increasing annual production by 50.59% in the long term. Due to the high complexity of the problem, matheuristics were applied to optimize response time and multiobjective techniques to reconcile conflicting goals. The results offer strategic solutions for producers to face climate adversities, ensure compliance with international contracts and maintain the global competitiveness of national citrus growing in the face of current production crises.