Curvelo

Curvelo Economy

Curvelo is a municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, positioned in the geodesic centre of the state 170 km north of the capital, Belo Horizonte. The local currency is the BRL, and the official languages include pt-BR, es, en, and fr.

Curvelo's economy relies primarily on goods and services, though agriculture remains an important sector. Economic data indicates that the Gross Domestic Product reached R$413 million, with services contributing 264 million, industry contributing 55 million, and agriculture contributing 44 million. Agricultural activity is supported by a cattle herd of 122,000 head, alongside 1,165 producers operating across 172,000 hectares. A limited number of rural properties utilize tractors, and roughly 4,000 people are involved in farming. Main agricultural crops consist of citrus fruits, rice, sugarcane, beans, manioc, and corn. Infrastructure features 7 banks and 8,487 automobiles, establishing a ratio of 8 inhabitants per automobile.

In recent years, large-scale planting of eucalyptus trees has provided charcoal to supply industries in Sete Lagoas and Contagem, bringing revenue to the municipality while contributing to ecological damage to local fauna and flora. Companies such as V&M Florestal Ltda. operate extensive tree plantations within the municipality, replacing traditional small round ovens with more centralized production methods. The resulting charcoal is transported by truck to the industrial area of greater Belo Horizonte to support the production of pig iron, known as ferro-gusa, which serves as a primary substance for the modern ironworks industry.