Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

! Agriculture and Forestry Research, Special Issue No 362 (Braunschweig, 2012) ISSN 0376-0723
Download: www.vti.bund.de/en/startseite/vti-publications/landbauforschung-special-issues.html
Table 1. Description of an agro ecological farm in Guayabal de Síquima (Colombia)
General
description
Area: 9 hectares
Altitude:
1870 – 1935
o.l.s.
Rainfall: 2000
mm / year
Environment:
tropical wet
forest high
64
Agricultural Subsystem
Crops of chili, onion,
cilantro, herbs,
and vegetables
Fertilization with
compost produced
on the farm, and
microbial broths.
Biological control
of pests and diseases
and use of
allelopathy.
Use cover crops
and minimum tilla-
ge.
Soil: Clay Marketing fresh
and processed.
Livestock
Subsystem
Balanced diets based on
pasture and supplementation
cutting grass or
forage from species of
trees, shrubs and herbs.
Animal Welfare (shade,
water will move, management).
Milking
facilities.
Preventive health care.
No use of chemical parasiticides.
Records management
and planning processes.
Marketing of fresh and
processed milk as caramel.
Forest
Subsystem
Conservation of native forest strips as
conservative elements of water and
wildlife corridors.
Planting forage, fruits and timber tree
species in pastures and agrosilvopastoral
systems
Handling of food plots with forage
species of trees, and shrubs.
Using trees as living fences.
The tree is a vital element for the system
in the conservation of soil, water, air,
wildlife, as a supplier of fodder, timber,
food, and a rich landscape.
Table 2. Comparison of the dual purpose cattle production with an organic farm in Guayabal
de Síquima (Colombia)
Parameter National average Farm average
Birth rate (%) 53 70
Daily gain weight (grs/day) 350 950
Birth weight (kg) 25 27
Weaning weight (kg) 130 170
Slaughter (months) 39 28
Carrying capacity (TLU/Ha) 0,6 4,0
Milk production in double-purpouse (lt/cow/day) 3 7
Discussion
Colombia has a cattle population of nearly 27 million, the third largest in South America after Brasil
and Argentina, and 15th largest in the world. From this quantity, almost 2 % are dairy cows, 28
% are double purpose, and 70 % are beef cattle (MADR-CCI 2009). This sector could be producing
950,000 jobs, which would amount for 25 % of the rural and 7 % of the total employment. It has
been calculated that milk production systems produce 7 or 8 jobs for every 100 animals, in double
purpose 5 or 6 jobs, and in beef cattle breeding, growing and fattening only 2 or 3 jobs per 100
animals (Fedegán - FNG 2006). Figure 1 indicates the Colombian livestock structure.
Nearly 500 thousand properties in Colombia have livestock. In small properties, 58 % of the area is
dedicated to livestock, in medium properties almost 65 %, and in large properties it is 90 % (IGAC
2002). Some livestock farms have high technique level, but the national averages on each production
system show poor efficiency when compared to other countries. It is estimated that 9 % of
farmers use irrigation for its grasslands, while only 15 % offer hay or silage, occasionally, and less
than 4% make pasture renewal practices. Similarly, the workforce has a low level of schooling, with
at least 15 % having not gone to school, and 33 % having studied some levels of basic education
(Fedegán - FNG 2006).