Economic viability of a Trichogramma pretiosum biofactory for use against agricultural pests of the order Lepidoptera

Brazil has become one of the main international suppliers of agricultural products. These products account for half of exports and 21% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), demonstrating the sector's importance to the economy. Paradoxically, there is an increase in the use of chemical products in agricultural production, which constitutes a barrier to exports and even a reduction in domestic consumption. Production under good agricultural practices is a global demand, since ecological barriers and/or chemical residues are still obstacles to the expansion of exports. An alternative to mitigate the problem with chemical residues is the biological control of pests using *Trichogramma pretiosum* due to its efficiency in controlling pests of the order Lepidoptera and because it is easy to breed on a commercial scale in biofactories. However, there are few references in the literature on the cost-benefit ratio of this undertaking, since the methodologies used in insect breeding are not disclosed by companies in the sector. The objective of this work was to evaluate the economic viability of the construction and implementation of a biofactory for the production of *Trichogramma* for biological control. The study indicated that the project is viable, with good profitability and a good return on investment.