Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

Early Adoption of Arachis pintoi in the Humid Tropics: The
Case of Dual-Purpose Cattle Systems in Caqueta, Colombia
Libardo Rivas and Federico Holmann
CIAT, Colombia
The region of Caquetá, Colombia, is representative of the environmental
and economic situation prevailing in Colombia’s Amazon region.
Development efforts began in this region in the early 1900s and, since then,
have gone through several phases up to the implementation of complex
agricultural and cattle production systems that, over time, have been
progressively intensified. CIAT, together with Nestlé, has assessed the
evolution of livestock systems in Caquetá regarding two topics of interest for
both institutions: (1) the adoption of forage technologies and (2) the
production and productivity of livestock systems.
The forage legume Arachis pintoi, or perennial forage peanut, is the
result of a joint research effort of CIAT with collaborating institutions. This
material was evaluated during several years and released in 1992 as a
forage alternative. The adoption and transfer of new forage technologies are
complex and time-consuming processes. The decision to adopt an improved
pasture involves a considerable investment of capital not only in pasture
establishment, but also in higher livestock requirements because this type
of forage technology increases the stocking rate. This is a critical issue for
small- and medium-scale farmers, such as those that exist in Caquetá, with
little capital and limited access to financial institutions.
The present study focused on analyzing the evolution of the early
adoption process of Arachis pintoi promoted by CIAT and Nestlé to generate
relevant information that would allow possible limitations to adoption to be
identified, while facilitating the design of strategies that would accelerate the
adoption process.
Materials and Methods
Basic data were collected through surveys in which the universe was
the group of dairy farms that supplied milk to the Nestlé plant in Caquetá.
Two sampling strategies were used: (a) a random sample whose size was
estimated using conventional statistical methods, and (b) an additional
sample of 52 farms that were already using the new material, in view of the
fact that the adoption of this technology was in an initial phase. Sufficient
information was accordingly gathered regarding experiences, difficulties, and
prospects of producers testing Arachis.
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