ARAUJO, G. G. L. de

GUIMARÃES FILHO, C.

SA, I. B.

English

Description; Replicability; Impact; Future plans

Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from Embrapa

Brazil: animal production in semi-arid regionsBackground and JustificationISome 90 million hectares of Brazil's northeastern region are classed as 'semi-arid' and periodicallysuffer from prolonged droughts. Although the region's characteristic caatinga brushwood florasurvives well in the shallow, infertile soil, the regular droughts severely damage the local economy.Caatinga vegetation is a rich complex of deciduous woody and annual herbaceous species.Many of these provide forage to herds of goats and, as a result, valuable species are beingovergrazed and becoming replaced by less desirable herbs and shrubs. As forage for goats becomesmore scarce, local farmers are switching to raising cattle, which is having an even more devastatingeffect on the environrnent as the animals eat what they can and trample much of the rest. In some ofBrazil 's northeastern states, 15 percent of the caatinga has already become desert.The current situation, therefore, with some 26 million head of cattle, 10.4 million goats and7.5 million sheep, is unsustainable as it is destroying biodiversity and the natural environrnent. It isalso very low yielding for the farmers. Cattle reproduction rate is around 40 percent, 30 percentlower than what should be achievable, calf mortality rate is 15 percent, and animals reach a weightof about 340 kilograms in four to five years compared to the goal of 420 kilograms in three years.For goats, the interval between pregnancies is often more than 300 days, and kid mortality is 35percent. Farmers' dependency on the very caatinga that their herds are destroying is the mainreason for these poor yields, especially in periods of drought when caatinga forage becomesparticularly scarce. Although caatinga may support animals during the rainy season, during theannual six to eight months of drought, vegetation is reduced by 60 percent.The situation is exacerbated as only about one-third of the area's 1.5 million farm propertieshave sufficient water resources to see them through these droughts. Another third are at risk ofcollapse if the regular rains arrive a month later than expected. The final 500,000 farmers arecompletely dependent on regular rains for their water and so are the worst hit by drought, whichoften forces them to walk up to 6 kilometers to collect water or, in some cases, to abandon theirhomesteads altogether. Migratory farmers also burn forest and brushwood in order to create fieldsfor the production of subsistence crops. As the are a 's population grows and the existinglandownership system forces more and more people to move into new areas, this practice isincreasing. Wood extraction for industrial use, fuel or charcoal-production is also having adevastating affect on the area's biodiversity.Maps drawn up using the latest satellite technologies reveal the extent of the environmentaldegradation that has occurred in the area. Using these maps and other resources, the scientificcommunity implemented an awareness-raising and information-sharing campaign and hasencouraged local people to appreciate the importance of sustainable economic development that doesnot damage natural habitats. Worldwide concern over the issue has also helped focus attention onthis area of Brazil.There have also been failed attempts to introduce alternative sources of fodder for the animalherdo Among the reasons for their failure are: the small size of farms, the legal system that governsfarmers' ownership of the land, the absence of farmers' associations, and the lack of access to bankcredit and governrnent technical support.In contrast, the Caatinga-Buffel-Leucaena (CBL) farming system makes use of native foragesderived from caatinga vegetation and other ecosystems. When implemented correctly, it has thepotential to increase herd yield statistics and, hence, the sustainability of farming in the region byincreasing the economic returns on livestock production.30DescriptionThe CBL system was developed by scientists at Embrapa (the Brazilian Agricultural ResearchCorporation), with technical support from the French Institui de Recherché pour le Développement(IRD). It has five basic features:A major component is caatinga vegetation, which covers at least 30 percent of the totalarea.It utilizes drought-tolerant pastures, which are cultivated under a rotational system inorder to provide animal feed during the drought season.It produces hay and silage for supplementary feeding during critical periods.It sets aside a reserve area of drought-tolerant forage species for use during particularlyharsh years.It operates as a subsystem within other components of the local farm production system,and is'based on the area's agro-ecological and socio-economic diversity.In the CBL system, animaIs forage in the caatinga for two to four months of the year. For therest of the time, they graze on buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliarisy, which research has shown to beparticularly tolerant to drought. The third part of the CBL system is leucaena (Leucaenaleucocephalai, also known as the lead tree or white popinac, a leguminous tree, originally fromMexico, that is widely used as a forage in dry regions of Australia and in south-east Asia. Leucaenais used to boost dietary protein and is cut and dried or ensiled to be used as hay or silage during thedry period. It also re-grows after cutting, providing extra grazing for animaIs.Saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) is also sometimes cultivated in the CBL system. This plantfirst carne to Brazil from Australia in the 1940s and has the characteristics of being drought-resistant, high yielding, easy to propagate, resistant to pests and diseases, and high in calorie andprotein contents. It can be used to make hay with such other plants as palm and leucaena and has theadded advantage of leeching excess salt out of polluted soils or salinized water. lt can be irrigatedwith residual water and requires sodium as a nutrient.In addition, the umbu or imbu tree (Spondias tuberosa), which grows in the drought-affectedareas of northeastern Brazil, is not only a source of animal fodder, but its fruit and tubers can beused by humans. Little research has yet been carried out into the yields and other features of thisplant, but each plant is estimated to produce between 65 and 300 kilograms of edible fruit a year,while the tubers supply a drinkable water that is used to treat human diarrhoea and worminfestations. The harvesting, processing and commercialization of umbu fruits generates an estimated6 million Reais (US$2 million) per year, and may have the potential to provide far more income tofarmers in dry areas.Finally, the reserve area of the CBL system is planted with prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica)and the cassava-like Manihot pseudoglaziovii, which are highly tolerant to drought and can supplyfeed in very dry years when even the ~ucaena crop has failed. Together, the different foarges of theCBL system can be used by herds of cattle, sheep or goats, as well as mixed herds, throughout theyear.Along with these alternative forage crops, the CBL system also makes use of urea and mineralmixtures, especially for animaIs whose dry season feed is buffel grass rather than the more mineral-and protein-rich hay and silage. Daily urea consumption of at least 30 grammes per 100 kilogramsof live weight helps to reduce weight loss in animaIs during critical periods. Between 20 to 40percent of urea can be added to a mix of two parts of common salt and one part of triplesuperphosphate to produce a cheap and effective mineral mix.The CBL system has also introduced new agricultural management practices, including: amating season, which makes it easier to select cows that are particularly efficient at reproducing; aweaning system for calves, in arder to reduce the periods between animal pregnancies; and a more31-efficient system for selecting heifers, in order to ensure that they have reached their optimum weightbefore they are mated either for the first time or between subsequent matings.Cattle are also vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease, botulism and rabies, and youngcattle are wormed at recommended intervals. Farmers are encouraged to keep records of theiranimals' reproductive performance and weight gain so that they can identify weak-points and takethe necessary action to solve problems. Accounting records also make it possible to evaluate costsand to take decisions that increase both productivity and income.ReplicabilitySurvey results show that the CBL system could be applied to about 40 million hectares in theBrazilian semi-arid northeast - i.e. about 42 percent of the total area. In a joint agreement, thegovernrnents of Japan and Brazil have decided to implement the CBL system in productive farmingunits of between 50 and 200 hectares each in the Brazilian states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Alagoas andSergipe. Brazil's Northeast Bank has created a special line of credit with an initial US$78 million tofinance the establishment of drought-tolerant pastures, the acquisition of animals and the provisionof access to water sources. The aim is to implement the CBL system in about 200,000 hectares,benefitting 2,000 producers and 110 communities.ImpactUnder the CBL system, steers reach weights of 420 to 450 kilograms within 30 to 36 months,compared with the traditional system's 340 to 360 kilograms after 48 to 54 months. Annual calvingrates of 70 to 80 percent are almost twice the previous rate of 40 percent. Mortality is reduced,weaning weights increased and, in general, the system makes it possible to increase the total liveweight of weaned calves per hectare per year by as much as 1,000 percent.The CBL system includes a set of procedures that control the use of caatinga resources. As aresult, and as caatinga has a high natural recovery capacity, the deterioration process is being haltedand reversed. The limited caatinga foraging season helps to reduce overgrazing and, because it takesplace after most plants have flowered and set seeds, does not threaten future caatinga growth. Inaddition, the size of the herds grazed varies from year to year, depending on rainfall, which, 'in turn,determines the amount of forage that the caatinga can supply.Future plansThe main aspects for future research are the conservation of native plant species, ecologically-friendly management systems, and the expansion of the area covered by the CBL system. Due to thefragility of the caatinga, the whole ecosystem needs to be developed carefully in order for it torealize its potential as a tool for the sustainable development of the Brazilian semi-arid region.Prepared byGherman Garcia Leal De Araújo, Clóvis Guimarães Filho, lêdo Bezerra SáEmbrapa Serni-Arid, Br428, Km 152, Caixa Postal 23, CEP 56300-970, Petrolina-Pe, BrazilTel: (+55) 818621711 - Fax: (+55) 818621744Email: sac@cpatsa.embrapa.brW ebsites: www.cpatsa.embrapa. br, www.embrapa. br /engl ish/32

Brazil: animal production in semi-arid regions.

http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/bitstream/doc/145891/1/Brazilanimalproductioninsemiaridregions.pdf

Brazil: animal production in semi-arid regions.

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from Embrapa