8 research outputs found

    Functions and selection criteria for a llama population in the Bolivian Andes

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    Bolivia accounts for more than 60% of the llama population worldwide and more than 50,000 smallholder families in marginal areas are dedicated to llama husbandry as part of their livelihood strategy. To this day, llamas substantially contribute to the economic and social life of smallholder Andean communities, providing food and fibre, fuel and transport, and fulfil other cultural, social and capital functions. Although this multi-purpose contribution has been widely recognised, llamas have not yet been subject to systematic breeding activities in the Andean region. For the establishment of sound and sustainable breeding programmes, it is crucial to identify the contribution of the numerous non-market traits and functions of llamas to the breeding objective. The present study was conducted within a long-term collaboration project in the Ayopaya region and aimed at evaluating the important functions, roles and traditional selection criteria of llamas, intending to contribute to formerly missing information for the formalisation of an appropriate breeding objective. Data was collected in seven highland communities of the north-western Ayopaya province in the Cochabamba department, Bolivia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 47 households in three communities. Questionnaires contained information on llama herd structure and management, animal selection and selection criteria. In addition, information from llama registers and previous research results were included for comparison and crosschecking. Verbatim noted selection criteria were evaluated by a relative weighting on an ordinal scale. A ranking approach with ten functions of llama keeping presented by illustrations was performed with 75 farmers in six communities. A rank-based t-test was applied for multiple pair-wise comparisons within ranking groups according to gender and community provenance. Between-group comparison was performed by non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test. A choice experiment (CE) was designed on basis of the results of the evaluation of stated selection criteria for llama breeding males. In total, five attributes and a payment vehicle were included in the CE. A total of 32 different llama profiles were selected from the full factorial design. The profiles were further blocked into pairs of two, resulting in eight choice sets with two alternatives and an opt-out alternative, which were presented to 159 farmers in seven communities. Data analysis was performed using LIMDEP 8.0 NLOGIT 3.0 applying a mixed logit model (MXL). According to farmers? rankings, the major functions of llama keeping in the Ayopaya region are herd size as a capital asset and transportation, the latter highlighting the role and value of livestock in a mixed system and their integration into cropping activities, but also the persisting value of animal transport in marginal regions despite infrastructure development and decline of barter trade. The high importance of the transport capability of llamas is reflected in the body conformation as a frequently stated selection criterion. Other precisely defined and highly valued criteria were well-developed testicles, fibre quantity and quality and fleece colour. The high-rated testicle conformation in combination with little or no selection on the female side is promoting the maintenance of a sufficient herd size, which is indirectly assuring a convenient capital investment. Maximum likelihood estimates of the MXL showed the expected signs for all attributes. Highest simulated WTP values were observed for very fine fibre animals. Further, a llama with a single-coloured fleece is valued more than a spotted one and bigger animals are preferred over smaller ones. The body and testicle conformation traits receive a negative value, typically denominated willingness to accept (WTA) compensation. Highest aversion of farmers is expressed towards animals with unequal testicles, followed by small testicles and crooked legs. However, the 25th and 75th percentiles of the WTP estimates point to considerable preference variation within the respondent population that could not be sufficiently captured by the included demographic characteristics in the MXL model. The presented mixed-methodological approach was able to partly describe the complexity and multi-functionality of llamas in marginal highland farming systems in Bolivia. The different approaches allowed yielding more insights in the relative importance of the functions the animals fulfil for their herders and the predominant selection criteria considered for breeding animals. The special importance of marketable and non-marketable benefits of llamas in Bolivia due to smallholder?s multiple objectives has been quantified in monetary terms. With regard to the formalisation of a breeding objective for llamas in the Bolivian highlands, the findings suggest the incorporation of the traditionally important selection criteria of farmers in parallel to the commercially interesting fibre trait. As long as no proper price information from functioning national fibre markets is available, an economic weighting of the fibre quality trait on basis of WTP estimates appears a reasonable alternative. There is need for additional work and research on the genetic correlations, apart from the existent phenotypic calculations, between fibre quality and quantity to identify possible auxiliary traits to facilitate recording and implementation. The derivation of economic weights for traits from choice experiments to be incorporated in animal breeding selection indices remains a challenge. In parallel, the market development for llama products should be sequentially monitored, while shortcomings and constraints on the producer level, the institutional level and the policy level have to be considered.Boliviens Lamabestand umfasst 60% der weltweiten Gesamtpopulation. Mehr als 50,000 kleinbäuerliche Familien in marginalen Hochlandgebieten Boliviens halten Lamas zur Sicherung ihrer Existenzgrundlage. Bis heute liefern die Tiere Fleisch, Wolle, Brennstoff, dienen als Lastenträger, besitzen eine Funktion als Kapitalreserve und erfüllen weitere kulturelle sowie soziale Funktionen. Obgleich dieser vielseitige Beitrag allgemein anerkannt wird, sind Lamas in den Andenregionen bisher nicht Gegenstand systematischer Züchtungsaktivitäten gewesen. Für die Entwicklung nachhaltiger Zuchtprogramme ist die Ermittlung des Beitrags der zahlreichen nicht-geldwerten Merkmale und Leistungen von Lamas zum Gesamtzuchtziel ausschlaggebend. Die vorliegende Arbeit wurde im Rahmen eines langfristig angelegten Kooperationsprojektes durchgeführt und hatte zum Ziel, die für die Tierhalter wichtigen Funktionen und Aufgaben von Lamas, sowie die traditionell angewendeten Selektionskriterien zu bewerten, um bereits vorliegende Informationen zur Formalisierung eines geeigneten Zuchtziels zu ergänzen und damit zum Gesamtprojekt beizutragen. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte in sieben Hochlandgemeinden in der nord-westlichen Provinz Ayopaya im Cochabamba-Department, Bolivien. In drei Gemeinden wurden 47 Bauern mittels semi-strukturierter Interviews zu Herdenstruktur und Herdenmanagement der Lamas, zur Tierauswahl sowie angewandten Selektionskriterien befragt. Zusätzlich wurden Informationen aus Tierregistern und vorhergehenden Forschungsergebnissen zum Vergleich und zur Überprüfung der eigenen Ergebnisse herangezogen. Wörtlich notierte Selektionskriterien wurden anhand einer Ordinalskala relativ bewertet. Ein Ranking mit zehn bildlich auf Karten dargestellten Funktionen zur Lamahaltung wurde mit 75 Bauern aus sechs Gemeinden durchgeführt. Die Analyse erfolgte mittels eines rangsummenbasierten t-tests für multiple Paarvergleiche innerhalb der Ranking-Gruppen ?Geschlecht? und ?Gemeindeherkunft?. Der Vergleich zwischen den Gruppen wurde mit dem nicht-parametrischen Wilcoxon Rangsummentest durchgeführt. Ein Choice Experiment (CE) wurde auf Basis der Ergebnisse der relativen Gewichtung genannter Selektionskriterien für Zuchthengste konstruiert. Insgesamt wurden fünf Lamaattribute und ein Zahlungsmittel für das CE berücksichtigt und 32 Lamaprofile aus dem vollständigen Faktorplan ausgewählt. Diese Profile wurden paarweise geblockt, so dass acht verschiedene Choice Sets mit zwei Alternativen und einer Ausweichalternative (?opt-out?) insgesamt 159 Bauern aus sieben Gemeinden vorgelegt wurden. Die Datenanalyse erfolgte mit LIMDEP 8.0 NLOGIT 3.0 unter Anwendung des Mixed Logit Modells (MXL). Die Rankingergebnisse zeigen, dass die Herdengröße als Kapitalreserve und die Transportfähigkeit der Tiere die bedeutendsten Funktionen der Lamahaltung in Ayopaya darstellen. Letztere Funktion unterstreicht die Wertstellung und Integration der Tiere in gemischten Ackerbau- und Viehzuchtsystemen, sowie ihren fortdauernden Wert als Transportmöglichkeit trotz Infrastrukturausbaus und Abnahme des Tauschhandels in entlegenen Gebieten. Die große Bedeutung der Transportfunktion ist in den häufig als Selektionskriterien genannten Merkmalen des Körperbaus wiederzufinden. Andere hoch bewertete Kriterien waren gut ausgebildete Testikel, die Faserquantität und ?qualität, sowie die Vliesfarbe. Die hohe Bewertung gut ausgebildeter Testikel soll im Zusammenhang mit minimaler Selektion innerhalb der weiblichen Tiere die Aufrechterhaltung der Herdengröße gewährleisten, was wiederum zu einer zweckdienlichen Kapitalanlage beiträgt. Maximum Likelihood Schätzwerte des MXL zeigten die erwarteten Vorzeichen für alle Attribute. Die höchsten Zahlungsbereitschaften (WTP) der Bauern wurden für Tiere mit sehr feiner Faser ermittelt. Weiterhin werden Lamas mit einer einheitlichen Vliesfarbe gegenüber gescheckten Tieren bevorzugt und größere Tiere gegenüber Kleineren präferiert. Die größte Abneigung der Bauern zeigt sich gegenüber Lamas mit ungleichgroßen Testikeln, gefolgt von kleinen Testikeln und krummen Vorderläufen. Die 25. und 75. Perzentile der WTP-Schätzwerte deuten jedoch auf eine beträchtliche Präferenzvariation innerhalb der Befragten hin, welche nicht ausreichend durch die in das MXL eingefügten demographischen Merkmale erklärt werden konnte. Die angewandten Methoden konnten die Komplexität und Multifunktionalität von Lamas im marginalen Hochland Boliviens teilweise erfassen. Die verschiedenen Ansätze ermöglichten eine Bewertung der relativen Wichtigkeit der Funktionen von Lamas die Lamas für ihre Besitzer erfüllen. Zudem konnten die vorherrschenden Selektionskriterien, die bei der Auswahl von Zuchttieren durch die Bauern zur Anwendung kommen, erfasst und monetär quantifiziert werden. In Bezug auf die Formalisierung eines Zuchtzieles für Lamas im bolivianischen Hochland dokumentieren die vorliegenden Forschungsergebnisse die Bedeutung der Aufnahme von traditionell wichtigen Selektionskriterien der Bauern parallel zum kommerziell interessanten Fasermerkmal. Weitere Untersuchungen über genetische Korrelationen zwischen Faserqualität und -quantität sind notwendig, um mögliche Hilfsmerkmale zur Erleichterung der Datenerhebung und Implementierung zu identifizieren. Darüber hinaus bleibt die Aufnahme ökonomischer Teilgewichte für Merkmale aus Ergebnissen von Choice Experimenten in Selektionsindices eine Herausforderung. Gleichzeitig sollte die Marktentwicklung für Lamaprodukte fortlaufend überprüft werden, während Einschränkungen auf der Erzeugerebene sowie der institutionellen und politischen Ebene berücksichtigt werden müssen

    Carcass Grading for Local Vietnamese Ban Pigs and its Potential for a Quality Feedback System in a Short Food Supply Chain

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    AbstractIn-situ conservation of local pig breeds in Southeast Asia requires genetic improvement embedded in viable marketing concepts. Increasing demand offers marketing opportunities for indigenous Vietnamese Ban pork. This study sought to adjust estimation methods for grading light carcasses according to their leanness. Using data from the dissection of 45 carcasses, several models were fitted and evaluated. Although the predictive power of the equations was limited, Ban carcasses could be approximatively classified according to their lean content. Finally, a suggestion of how to include these measurements in a quality feedback system of a short food supply chain is made

    Discriminating the quality of local pork from crossbred pork from extensive production of ethnic minorities in mountainous northern Vietnam

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    Developing short food supply chains for products from local pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) breeds may offer chances for smallholders in rural areas to participate in niche markets and obtain additional income. Because the authenticity and distinctness of products are crucial for establishing marketing, this study compared selected product characteristics of pork from the Vietnamese Ban breed with pork from crossbreds, each derived at their typical market weight and from their respective extensive and semi-extensive production environment; thus resembling the combination, the products are available for customers. Traditional Ban pork could be effectively discriminated from crossbred pork through cut dimensions, exemplified by the significantly reduced loin eye area (P 0.001), and by the significantly reduced backfat thickness (P 0.001). Also, marbling fat was significantly decreased in local pork (P 0.001), whereas differences in further meat quality parameters were rather weakly expressed. The significantly higher share of polyunsaturated fatty acids in loins of traditionally produced Ban pigs (P = 0.003) could possibly result in a preferred nutritional value, but lower oxidative stability of the products. This study provides novel information to improve the marketing of specialty pork in Vietnam and comparable situations in the Southeast Asian Massif

    Optimising contributions of goat farming to household economic success and food security in three production systems in Ethiopia

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    The study aims to analyse factors affecting contributions of goat farming to household economic success and food security in three goat production systems of Ethiopia. A study was conducted in three districts of Ethiopia representing arid agro-pastoral (AAP), semi-arid agro-pastoral (SAAP) and highland mixed crop-livestock (HMCL) systems involving 180 goat keeping households. Gross margin (GM) and net benefit (NB1 and NB2) were used as indicators of economic success of goat keeping. NB1 includes in-kind benefits of goats (consumption and manure), while NB2 additionally constitutes intangible benefits (insurance and finance). Household dietary diversity score (HDDS) was used as a proxy indicator of food security. GM was significantly affected by an off-take rate and flock size interaction (P0.001). The increment of GM due to increased off-take rate was more prominent for farmers with bigger flocks. Interaction between flock size and production system significantly (P0.001) affected both NB1 and NB2. The increment of NB1 and NB2 by keeping larger flocks was higher in AAP system, due to higher in-kind and intangible benefits of goats in this system. Effect of goat flock size as a predictor of household dietary diversity was not significant (P0.05). Nevertheless, a significant positive correlation (P0.05) was observed between GM from goats and HDDS in AAP system, indicating the indirect role of goat production for food security. The study indicated that extent of utilising tangible and intangible benefits of goats varied among production systems and these differences should be given adequate attention in designing genetic improvement programs

    Using choice experiments to assess smallholder farmers' preferences for pig breeding traits in different production systems in North-West Vietnam

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    Livestock form key components of the livelihood strategies of many of the world's poorest people. However, despite the potential to alleviate poverty and improve food security through livestock development interventions, the lack of smallholders' participation in the planning and design of breeding programs has often been a major cause of the failure of such programs. Particularly in developing countries where livestock production is still mostly subsistence-oriented and livestock fulfil manifold functions a considerable number of livestock breeding programs have failed. The development of adequate tools to characterise these functions, bearing in mind that these are expressed only rarely in properly functioning markets, is therefore important. This paper seeks to advance the application of such methodologies to the smallholder pig sector in Vietnam. A choice experiment was applied across 140 households involved in pig breeding in order to assess farmers' preferences and the trade-offs for a list of adaptive and productive traits. These included growth, reproduction, disease resistance, feed requirements and appearance. The findings indicate that smallholders highly value both adaptive and performance traits, particularly in resource-driven (i.e. subsistence) production systems. Performance traits were more highly valued in the demand-driven (i.e. market-oriented) systems. These findings have implications for breeding program breed choice and breeding objectives.
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