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Improvement of Livestock Production in Crop-Animal Systems in ...

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Table A4. Cont<strong>in</strong>ued.Project TitleGoat and sheepSmall rum<strong>in</strong>ant/coconut systems <strong>in</strong>the uplands, Laguna, Luzon islandgroup (1991–93).Rice + backyard duck production <strong>in</strong>lowland irrigated area <strong>in</strong>Camar<strong>in</strong>es Sur, Luzon islandgroup (1991–92).Rice + duck–rice + duck <strong>in</strong> lowlandirrigated area, Luzon island group(1991–93).<strong>Animal</strong>s andcrops producedSheep andgoat, coconut.Interventions testedImproved Pasture.Improved animalmanagement.Estimated pr<strong>of</strong>itFarmerpractice/controlExperimentalDucks and rice. Technology verification. NA 30% higherthan controlDucks and rice. Technology verification.Integration <strong>of</strong> ducks.NANAUS$ 561. US$ 739Exchange Rate: Before 1990, US$ 1 = P15, after 1990, US$ 1 = P25 approximately.Government policies and regulationsTable A5 summarises the macro-economic and agricultural sector-specific policies currently <strong>in</strong> force and theirlikely impacts on the animal sub-sector, particularly <strong>in</strong> the smallholder mixed farm<strong>in</strong>g systems. However,empirical estimation <strong>of</strong> the impacts <strong>of</strong> these policies are not available. The effects <strong>of</strong> macro-economic policies,e.g.exchangeratetariffsandquotas, are <strong>in</strong>direct and havenot alwaysbeen addressedbyfarm<strong>in</strong>gsystemsresearchworkers (Paris and Sevilla 1995). However, it is essential to consider the sector-specific policy issues <strong>in</strong> design<strong>in</strong>gtechnology options and their test<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> real farm conditions, and the macro-economic issues <strong>in</strong> assess<strong>in</strong>g the realor socialbenefits<strong>of</strong> improved technologies. Asmentioned earlier, thedesignandeconomicevaluation <strong>of</strong> on-farmtechnology <strong>in</strong>terventions did not address these issues.ThailandEnvironment and cropp<strong>in</strong>g systemsFor the purposes <strong>of</strong> this study, primary emphasis is placed on north-east Thailand (latitude 14–19° North),<strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with Thai Government policy for the future development <strong>of</strong> animal production <strong>in</strong> the country. This isone <strong>of</strong> the poorest regions with one-third <strong>of</strong> the human population <strong>of</strong> the country. Although the region ispredom<strong>in</strong>antly sub-humid, there may be small areas where the climate can be described as semi-arid. It is theleast productive region <strong>in</strong> the k<strong>in</strong>gdom (Wanapat 1995) and probably has similarities with eastern Indonesia,which was not visited. The region is a plateau (100–200 m altitude) with only 20% <strong>of</strong> the land suitable forirrigation. Approximately 7.0 million ha are used for rice production and the grow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> upland field crops(mostly cassava, kenaf, maize and fruit), approximately 2.0 million ha are <strong>in</strong> forest and 5.5 million ha areunclassified. This contrasts with the other countries visited, where <strong>in</strong>tensive crop cultivation did not allowfor the presence <strong>of</strong> large areas for graz<strong>in</strong>g. The climate is tropical monsoonal with ra<strong>in</strong>fall averag<strong>in</strong>g 1200mm annually, and a dist<strong>in</strong>ct dry season from December to May, which has implications for animal feedavailability. Ra<strong>in</strong>fall distribution is a problem, with irregularities <strong>in</strong> the wet season that can affect crop growth.There is also variation <strong>in</strong> ra<strong>in</strong>fall between years. Soils are texturally sandy loams or loamy sands with lowlevels <strong>of</strong> fertility, low organic matter content and poor moisture-retention capacity which accentuates theeffects <strong>of</strong> the relatively low ra<strong>in</strong>fall. Erosion has been a problem on the sandy soils associated with theproduction <strong>of</strong> cassava. However, the area <strong>of</strong> cassava is now decl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, and is be<strong>in</strong>g replaced by sugar-cane,which also <strong>of</strong>fers opportunities for animal feed.<strong>Crop</strong>p<strong>in</strong>g patterns are not as diverse as <strong>in</strong> the other countries visited, which is probably related to ra<strong>in</strong>fall.The dom<strong>in</strong>ant crop is rice, with both irrigated and ra<strong>in</strong>fed varieties be<strong>in</strong>g planted. In many situations, no

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