Increasing the productivity of dual purpose cattle in Nicaragua through use of appropriate breed types and application of best husbandry practices
Abstract
Poverty and food insecurity remain to be major problems in Central America, particularly for those farmers in the sub-humid zones who depend on maize-bean systems, and of whom 66% own cattle. Milk and beef production are therefore important and also growing agricultural products in Latin America. In Nicaragua, smallholder dual-purpose cattle production offers opportunities for poor cattle owners to improve their income, while the dairy and meat value chain offer employment opportunities. However, milk production per cow per lactation, as well as fertility and growth rates pre- and post-weaning, are currently low. The goal of the proposed project is to improve livelihoods and food and nutritional security of the rural poor in Nicaragua by enhancing milk and beef production through the application of improved breeding and husbandry strategies. The purpose of the project is to identify factors constraining dual purpose cattle production in Nicaragua and design and promote interventions that would sustainably improve productivity of these cattle. The specific outputs are: (1) key constraints and opportunities for immediate and long term interventions identified, (2) trait preferences and breeding objectives identified and availed to design sustainable dual purpose cattle improvement programs in Nicaragua and for similar systems in Latin America, (3) capacity of local actors to implement livestock breeding programs enhanced, (4) partnerships to implement long term development and improvement of dual purpose cattle production developed.
keywords dual purpose cattle breeding strategies value chain
Publikationen
Dual-purpose cattle production in Nicaragua: which breed fits best?
Autoren: Wurzinger, M., Ojango, J., Corrales, R., Mena Urbina, M., van der Hoek, R., Quiros, C., Poole, E.J., Mwai Okeyo, A. Jahr: 2015
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Project staff
Maria Wurzinger
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Maria Wurzinger
maria.wurzinger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93001, 93220, 93414
Project Leader
01.10.2013 - 28.02.2017
BOKU partners
External partners
International Livestock Research Institute
Okeyo Mwai
coordinator
International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Rein van der Hoek
partner
National Agrarian University
Roldan Corrales
partner