Bolivia English

8/10/2019 Bolivia English

1/18

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles

BOLIVIA

by

Dr. Ral R. Vera


2/18

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not implythe expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, cityor area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The men-tion of specic companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented,does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others ofa similar nature that are not mentioned.

The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarilyreect the views of FAO.

All rights reserved. FAO encourages the reproduction and dissemination of material in this informa-tion product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction forresale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applicationsfor permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all queries concerningrights and licences, should be addressed by e-mail to [email protected] or to the Chief, PublishingPolicy and Support Branch, Ofce of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Vialedelle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.

FAO 2006


3/18

3

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 5

2. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY 6

3. CLIMATE AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES 7

Altiplano 8

Yungas and other valleys 8

Eastern lowlands 8

4. RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS 9

Altiplano 9


Eastern lowlands 10

5. THE PASTURE RESOURCE 11

Altiplano 11


Eastern lowlands 13

6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURE RESOURCES 14

7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS 15

8. REFERENCES 15

9. CONTACTS 16

10. AUTHOR 18


4/18


5/18

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 5

1. INTRODUCTION

Bolivia is a landlocked South American

country of 1 098 581 km2 in size (see

Figure 1). Its population amounts to6 420 792 inhabitants according to INE

(1992), with 8 329 000 estimated for 2000

(CEPAL, 1999) and with a growth rate of

2.33% (according to the World Factbook

the July 2006 population estimate was

8 989 870 with a growth rate of 1.45%).

The urban population is 65% of the total

(2000 estimate) growing at a rate of

1.8%, versus 0.5% rural (CEPAL, 1999).

Approximately 55% of the population

are believed to be of pure indigenousIndian descent, 25-30% mestizo and 15%

European.

Land uses include 33% agricultural,

of which 5% is arable, 93% pastures,

and a negligible percentage is irrigated

(Table 1). Bolivia is divided by two

parallel Andean ranges or cordilleras,

on a roughly northsouth axis, into

three distinct ecozones: a vast semi-arid

Altiplano plateau between the western

range (Cordillera Occidental) and the

eastern range (Cordillera Oriental), withLake Titicaca on its northern end; semi-tropical Yungas and temperate valleys of the Cordillera Oriental;

and eastern lowlands (Oriente), including the semi-arid Chaco.

Agriculture is an extremely important sector, with 60% of farmers in the highlands and 20% in

relatively fertile valleys. The arable land was estimated at 2.3 ha per person in 1993 (Dirven, 1999). Of

the total area, 51% (mainly in the eastern lowlands and northeastern flanks of the Cordillera Oriental)

is covered by forest. Agriculture accounted for 23% of GDP in 1987. It employed about half (46%) of

the official labour force in 1986 and accounted for only 15% of total exports in the late 1980s. Coca

growing, a long standing customary crop, has become a major social problem.

Bolivia has the second largest population of South American camelids after Peru, and a large

number of sheep and cattle (Table 2). The lowland Departments of Beni, Santa Cruz and Pando account

for 54.2% of the ruminant stock, the Altiplano Departments of La Paz, Oruro and Potos have 26%,and the remaining 19.8% is found in the inter-andean Departments of Cochabamba, Chuquisaca and

Tarica. Despite a growing production of beef and milk (Table 2) the country is a net importer of both

commodities (Table 3), although for beef and veal by 2003 there were more exports and for milk

products the gap was closing.

Land tenure across the country varies very greatly. In the eastern lowlands properties tend to be

large and the sector is dominated by large farms and ranches, whereas small farmers predominate in the

valleys and foothills. Land tenure patterns in the highlands are complex, but communal areas and very

small farms tend to predominate as described in section 4 in relation to ruminant production systems.

Table 1. Land resources of Bolivia, 1 000 ha

Land area Agriculturalarea

Arablearea

Permanentcrops

Permanentpastures

Arable, %agricultural

Agricultural landarea, %

108 438 36 034 1 974 229 33 831 5.5 33.2

Source: FAO databases, estimates for 1998.

Figure 1. Map of main topographic characteristics of

Bolivia


6/18

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile6

2. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY

A brief mention of the main topographic features was made above. The Andes define the countrys three

geographic zones: the mountains andAltiplanoin the west, the semi-tropical Yungas and temperate valleys

of the eastern mountain slopes, and the tropical lowlands or plains (llanos) of the eastern lowlands, or

Oriente. The Andes run in two great parallel ranges or cordilleras. The western range (Cordillera Occidental)

runs along the Peruvian and Chilean borders. The eastern range (Cordillera Oriental) is a broad and towering

system of mountains stretching from Peru to Argentina. Between the two ranges lies the Altiplano, a plateau

1 100 km long and 120 to 160 km wide; the Bolivian portion of the Altiplano is 800 km long.

Bolivian soils are extremely varied and reflect the variable topography and slopes of the landscape.Table 4 shows some of the characteristics of soils in a few of the land systems identified by Cochrane

et al.(1985) in Bolivia. It is

clear from the data quoted

that the alluvial soils of the

agricultural region closest to

the city of Santa Cruz, in

the Bolivian lowlands, are

relatively most fertile despite

their low organic matter con-

tent . The latter are the soils

that have supported the rapid

expansion of soybeans and,

to a lesser degree, sown trop-

ical grasses, in that region.

Table 3. Bolivia: Imports and exports of beef and veal, milk, and wool, metric tons 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Beef and veal(,000)

Imports 0.1 0.7 1.2 0.2 0.3 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0

Exports 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.6

Milk equivalent(,000)

Imports 41.9 61.0 58,5 73.4 57.4 68.0 61.2 54.8 57.9 37.9

Exports 4.7 1.3 3.4 4.4 4.6 19.4 21.2 24.1 31.1 24.8

Wool, greasy Imports 3 3 0 1 1 10 11 18 0 0

Exports 89 356 226 152 60 203 153 156 101 15

Wool, scoured Imports 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0

Exports 12 12 35 8 3 0 0 8 8 1

Source: FAO databases 2006.

Table 2. Bolivia: statistics for livestock numbers, meat and milk production for the period 19962005

YearsStocks/Products

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Cattle (,000) 6 118 6 238 6 387 6 556 6 725 6 457 6 576 6 680 6 822 6 822

Sheep (, 000) 8 039 8 232 8 409 8 575 8 752 8 902 8 902 8 596 8 550 8 550

Goats (,000) 1 500 1 496 1 496 1 500 1 500 1 500 1 501 1 501 1 501 1 501

Other camelids (,000) 1 838 1 850 1 850 1 900 1 900 1 900 1 900 1 900 1 900 1 900

Beef and veal (Mt) (,000) 143.2 147.3 150.2 155.3 159.8 160.9 164.6 168.2 172.0 172.0

Goat meat (Mt) (,000) 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8

Sheep: mutton and lamb(Mt) (,000)

14.2 14.6 14.8 15.3 15.7 16.3 16.9 17.6 18.0 18.0

Meat of other camelids(Mt) (,000)

2.4 2.4 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.0

Cow mil, fresh (Mt)(,000) 195.1 202.2 191.1 230.7 231.5 170.0 291.0 240.0 233.7 233.7

Source: FAO databases 2006.

Table 4. Soil characteristics in a number of Bolivian land system

pH OM%

Pppm

Cameq %

Mgmeq %

Kmeq %

Sta. Cruz, well drainedlowlands, 020 cm (1)

7.2 (usuallycontain

moderate Naconcentrations)

1.6 4.9 13.2 0.7 0.20

Beni, poorly drainedlowlands 312 cm (2)

5.2 n.a. 5.0 3.3 2.2 0.46

Cochabamba,interandean region,

alluvial soil, 115 cm (2)

4.7 n.a. 10 n.a. 0.9 0.1

La Paz, highlands,512 cm (2)

5.5 n.a. 7 0.9 1.0 0.2

(1) Martnez (1992). (2) Cochrane et al. (1985). n.a. = not available


7/18


3. CLIMATE AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

Although Bolivia lies entirely within the tropics, climatic conditions vary widely, from tropical in the

lowlands to polar in the highest parts of the Andes. Temperatures depend on elevation and show little

seasonal variation. In most places rainfall is heaviest in summer, and yearly amounts tend to decrease fromnorth to south. Northern lowland areas have a tropical wet climate with year-round high temperatures,

high humidity and heavy rainfall. Daytime highs average above 27 0C all year round in most locations.

Rain often falls as brief thunderstorms, sometimes accompanied by strong winds and hail.

Central lowland areas have a tropical wet and dry climate. From October through April, northeast

trade winds predominate and the weather is hot, humid and rainy (Figure 2) From May through

September, however, dry southeast trade

winds take control and precipitation is

minimal. During this season clear days

and cloudless nights allow higher daily

maximums and lower nightly minimums

than during the rainy season. Occasionalstrong winds from the south, called

surazos, reach the region in winter and

bring low temperatures for several days.

The Chaco has a semi-tropical, semi-

arid climate with extreme temperatures.

Northeasterly winds bring rain and hot

humid conditions only from January

through March; the other months are dry

with hot days and cool nights. Record

temperatures reach 47 0C.

Temperatures and rainfall in moun-

tain areas vary considerably. TheYungas, where the moist northeast trade

winds are pushed up by the mountains,

is the cloudiest, most humid and rainiest

area, receiving up to 1 520 mm annually.

Sheltered valleys and basins throughout

the Cordillera Oriental have mild tem-

peratures and moderate rainfall, aver-

aging from 640 to 760 mm (Figure 3).

Temperature drops with increasing

elevation, however. Snowfall is possible

above 2 000 m and the permanent snowline is at 4 600 m. Areas over 5 500 m

have a polar climate. The Cordillera

Occidental is a high desert with cold,

windswept peaks. The Altiplano, which

also is swept by strong, cold winds, has

an arid, chilly climate, with sharp differ-

ences in daily temperature and decreas-

ing amounts of rainfall from north to

south (Figure 4). Average highs during

the day range from 15 C to 20 C, but

in the summer tropical sun, tempera-

tures may exceed 27 C. After nightfall,

however, temperatures drop rapidly to

just above freezing. Lake Titicaca exerts

Figure 2. Monthly rainfall and temperature in Sta. Cruz,eastern lowlands of Bolivia

Figure 3. Mean monthly temperature and rainfall,Cochabamba, Andean valleys

Figure 4. Mean monthly rainfal and temperature,

La Paz, Bolivian highlands


8/18


a moderating influence but, even on its shores, frosts occur in almost every month, and snow is not

uncommon.

Agro-ecological zones are discussed below, in relation to topography.

AltiplanoThe Peruvian-Bolivian Altiplano is a plateau 1 100 km long by 120160 km wide that runs between the

cordilleras at an average altitude of 4 000 m (Quiroga, 1992).The Bolivian portion is 800 km long, with

a total area of 123 000 km2and contains most of the Departments of La Paz (capital city of Bolivia),

Oruro and Potos. Although the Altiplano covers only 12% of Bolivias land area, it has 35% of its

population, including 42% of the urban population and 24% of the rural inhabitants. The Altiplano is a

high altitude basin, which includes a plain known asPuna, and a series of mountain ridges. It is covered

with sediments of disappeared lakes, partially dried lakes (e.g. the Titicaca) and residues of other large,

salty, lakes. Humidity in the Altiplano decreases from north to south, and salinity of the existing lakes

increases in the same direction. The geology of the region, and the existence of various basins within the

Altiplano, explain its variability; interested readers will find a detailed ecological description in Quiroga

(1992) among others.

Yungas and other valleys

Temperate and subtropical valleys abound throughout the Andean region. The northeastern flank of the

Cordillera Real is known as the Yungas, from the Aymara word meaning warm valleys. This land is

among the most fertile in Bolivia, but poor access has hindered its agricultural development.

The eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central descend gradually in a series of complex northsouth

ranges and hills. Rivers draining to the east have cut long narrow valleys; these valleys and the basins

between the ranges are favourable areas for crops and settlement. Rich alluvial soils fill the low areas,

but erosion has followed the removal of vegetation in some places. The valley floors range from 2 000 to

3 000 m above sea level and this lower elevation means milder temperatures than those of the Altiplano.

Two of Bolivias most important cities, Sucre and Cochabamba, are located in basins in this region.

The valleys cover 15% of the Bolivian territory, and have 24% and 36% of the urban and ruralpopulation of the country, respectively. Farms in the valleys tend to be very small, frequently under one

hectare each. The valleys generally have Mediterranean climates, with rainfall concentrated in a few

months and ranging between 200 and 600 mm, and have traditionally been dominated by very small

landowners (minifundistas). Strong farmers associations have developed since the 1980s, and offer

a variety of services (information, inputs, milk marketing, training and education) to their members.

Crops, roots, fruits, vegetables and sown forages are grown and, if irrigation is available, more than

one cropping season is feasible. Nevertheless, intensive utilization of land in small farms has led to

widespread erosion.

Eastern lowlands

The eastern lowlands include all of Bolivia north and east of the Andes. They represent 63% of theBolivian territory and have 32% and 18% of the urban and rural population, respectively. Thus, although

comprising two-thirds of the national territory, the region is sparsely populated and until the late 1980s,

it played a minor role in the economy. Differences in topography and climate separate the lowlands into

three areas. The flat northern area, made up of Beni and Pando departments and the northern part of

Cochabamba Department consists of tropical savannahs and rainforest. Mean altitude in Beni is 155 m,

mean temperature is 27 C (940 C), and average rainfall is 1 800 mm distributed between November

and May. Because much of the topsoil is underlain by a clay hardpan, drainage is poor, and heavy rain

periodically converts vast parts of the region into swamp. Heavy clay soils have a pH of 5.1 on average.

The central area, comprising the northern half of Santa Cruz Department, has gently rolling hills and

a drier climate than the north. Forests alternate with savannah and much of the land has been cleared

for cultivation, mainly for soybean. Santa Cruz, the largest city in the lowlands, is here, as are most of

Bolivias petroleum and natural gas reserves. The southeastern part of the lowlands is a continuation of

the Chaco of Paraguay. Virtually rainless for nine months of the year, this area becomes a swamp for the

three months of heavy rains. The extreme variation in rainfall supports only thorny scrub vegetation and


9/18


cattle grazing, although recent discoveries of natural gas and petroleum near the foothills of the Andes

have attracted some settlers to the region.

Most of Bolivias important rivers are in the water-rich northern parts of the lowlands, particularly in

the Alto Beni (Upper Beni), where the land is suitable for crops such as coffee and cacao. The northern

lowlands are drained by wide rivers, including the Mamor, Beni, and Madre de Dios, all of whichflow northward into the Madeira River in Brazil and eventually into the Amazon. On the contrary, the

southern rivers are shallow and sandy, and constitute part of the Paran River basin.

4. RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Altiplano

Livestock systems in the highlands include pastoral and agropastoral systems. Although animals are

not necessarily the main source of family income, their role is crucial to survival, since it is a far lessrisky enterprise than cropping and other agricultural activities (Iiguez, 1996). Throughout the Altiplano

cattle, and in particular oxen, are extremely important for draught. They are generally used until 89

years of age after which they are slaughtered and their meat sold in local markets. It is only in the

northern area, near the Titicaca lake and under the influence of the large urban market of La Paz, that

small unsophisticated dairies can be found. These farms supplement milk produced by large and modern

peri-urban dairies in the vicinity of the city.

Sheep are kept in the Altiplano for meat and wool. Originally introduced by the Spaniards, breeds

such as Merino, Churra, Manchega and some others are widespread. In 1972 it was estimated (Quiroga,

1992) that 36% of the highland sheep population was in the Northern Altiplano, 57% in the Central

region and 7% in the Southern Altiplano. Sheep raising is an extremely important subsistence activity

for large numbers of peasants (Quiroga, 1992) since it provides clothing material, meat, disposable

income and barter. Also, and together with camelids, they are used to graze crop stubbles in an attempt tomaintain soil fertility. Nevertheless, wool yields are very low (under 1 kg/head) and quality is deficient

by international standards.

Raising camelids is an integral part of the Andean culture and tradition. Llamas, alpacas and vicuas

provide efficient pack animals, meat, wool and fibre, leather, manure and fuel (dung). Their habitat is

generally above 3 800 m, and alpacas in particular tend to be concentrated in areas well endowed with

bofedales(see Table 5 for characteristics). During the 1990s an effort was made by Andean countries

to promote clothing and handcrafted garments made of camelids wool or fibres in niche international

marks thus adding value to these native animals and increasing peasants income. How successful this

initiative will be remains to be seen.

Two general livestock systems can be identified in the Altiplano (Iiguez, 1996):

Pastoral system, that predominates where crops are not feasible and where rainfall is under 300mm per year. The system is based on the use of llamas, alpacas and sheep: alpacas are generally

confined to the more humid niches, whereas llamas are found in the more marginal environments.

Criollo sheep overlap with both camelids, and provide the bulk of meat eaten by households;

Agropastoral systemsare better suited for crop production and are found in areas with 350600

mm rainfall. Traditional Andean crops and barley are grown, as well as small areas of irrigated

Table 5. Main grazing land types of Bolivia and their average dry matter yield

Altiplano Andean valleys Lowland pastures

Altitude, m >3 000 500-3 000 < 500

Type of vegetation Range Stubbles Grasslands Stubbles Savannah and Chaco Stubbles

000 km2 201 924 15 030 107 369 4 263 397 888 5 825

Percent of country 18.4 1.4 9.7 0.3 36.3 0.5

Average DM yield,kg/ha/year

< 800 < 400 4001 000 400800 1 0002 500 5001 000

Source: Alzrreca, 1985.


10/18


lucerne (Medicago sativa). The latter as well as crop stubbles and residues are fed to cattle and

sheep, which also have access to communal ranges.


Two grassland-based ruminant systems predominate (Iiguez, 1996).Intensive to semi-intensive Holstein-based dairy production is common in valleys near large urban

centres, and in particular near the city of Cochabamba. Small producers, some landless, predominate.

Those with little or no land rent paddocks and also graze animals along roads and other open areas.

Medium to large dairies rely on lucerne and maize, the latter conserved mainly as silage. Concentrate

supplementation is common. On-farm milk yields among medium and large producers average 13 kg

milk/day/cow, but the overall average for the Cochabamba area is closer to half that amount. As elsewhere

in subtropical and tropical Latin America, animal breeding and improvement of the genetic potential of

animals have advanced more rapidly than improvements in feeding strategies and grassland management.

Valleys lacking ready access to urban centres are characterized by smallholder agropastoral systems.

Agriculture, frequently based on two crops per year, is the main land use. Cattle and/or sheep and

goats are grazed on open lands in daytime and housed at night. They are also supplemented with cropstubbles and residues, such as maize stover, particularly during the long dry season. As in the Altiplano,

ruminants are valued for their manure, and are widely used for draught. Cattle and sheep tend to be

crosses of European breeds with Criollo.

Eastern lowlands

Grassland-based ruminant production systems in the lowlands vary a great deal depending upon the type

of vegetation, i.e. seasonally-flooded tropical savannahs, the semi-arid Chaco, or the increasingly crop-

oriented area east of Santa Cruz.

Extensive beef production is practically the only feasible ruminant production system in the

seasonally-flooded savannahs of the Beni, Pando Departments and areas of Santa Cruz farthest away

from roads and urban centres. Land tenure in the region is characterized by large privately-owned

ranches, frequently with several thousand hectares each. Medium ranches range between 2 000 and4 000 ha. The three Departments account for 70% of the Bolivian cattle herd.

The tropical savannahs of Beni are subject to alternate flood and drought. The rainy season is between

late September and late April (similar to what occurs in the Brazilian areas east of the border); rivers

carrying water from the Andes towards the Amazon basin flood two-thirds of the area by December and

until August. During this period, the Zebu (Nellore) and Zebu x Criollo cattle concentrate on portions of the

paddocks that remain a few centimetres above water level (alturas and semi-alturas, Tables 5 and 7);

similar grazing systems are found in poorly drained savannah areas of Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

Carrying capacity of the savannahs ranges between 3 and 8 ha/head. These systems are subject to very

minimal management and are constrained by the difficult accessibility of most paddocks during the rainy

season. Therefore all animal categories (cows, heifers, calves, bulls and steers) generally run together and

are harvested once or twice a year. In some remote areas, animals may be slaughtered on-farm and thecarcasses flown to urban centres, but three important all-weather roads are under construction.

There are 50 slaughter plants, and these are estimated to provide half of the beef consumed in Bolivia.

Not unexpectedly, yields, extraction rates and reproductive performance are low, with breeding cows

typically having calving intervals of two years. According to the Fondo Ganadero del Beni, carcasses

of three-year-old steers weigh 180 kg; nevertheless, technologically advanced ranches reach yields of

200215 kg carcass weight (Bauer, 1993 cited by Morales and Abasto, 1999). Numerous diseases are

endemic, and mineral deficiencies are common. In the flooded savannahs, capybara, Hydrochoerus

hydrochoeris(the worlds largest rodent, native to South America) is very widely distributed and hunted

for its meat and hide. No systematic efforts to research joint wildlife-cattle management have been made,

despite positive experiences in comparable areas of Venezuela.

The Department of Santa Cruz has 370 621 km2and represents a third of the Bolivian land area. Without

doubt, it has the highest agricultural potential of the country. East of the city of Santa Cruz, capital city of

the Santa Cruz Department, the land is flat, soils tend to be alluvial as a consequence of the runoff from

the Andes, and the original vegetation was forest. The region is presently largely deforested and since the


11/18


1980s has experienced a dramatic expansion of intensive soybean-based cropping, following and adapting

much of the technology employed in the Brazilian Cerrados, on the other side of the border. Similarly,

there has been a rapid and unquantified expansion of sown tropical pastures, again under the influence of

Brazilian practices. Pastures are dominated byBrachiaria decumbens andBrachiaria brizantha, with a

minor contribution of other species such asB. humidicola, Panicum maximumand others.There are two cattle-based production systems. Near to urban centres dual-purpose production

systems are common among small and medium ranchers. These are characterized by crossbred cows

(crosses of Zebu with Criollo, Brown Swiss or Holstein) that are milked once daily with their calf at

foot to allow milk let down (Patterson et al., 1981). Typical saleable milk yields range between 2 and

6 kg milk/day/cow, frequently in extended lactations of over 280 days and fed exclusively on low-input

pastures, supplemented with mineral mixtures and with some cut-and-carry forage (elephant grass or

sugar cane) during the dry season. In regions further from urban centres and roads, properties tend to be

larger, 3001 500 ha on average, and generally combine crops such as soybean and cereals with cow-calf

and beef fattening operations. Crop and cattle activities are seldom integrated in a planned manner so well

integrated croplivestock systems are scarce although the potential is reputedly high (Martnez, 1999).

Extensive beef production systems also characterize the semi-arid tropics of Bolivia, part of the large Chacoecosystem that extends over Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil, as indicated in Tables 5 and 6. The area

tends to be hot and combines extensive grassy fields with shrubs and low thorny trees. Beef breeding ranches

mostly have Criollo cattle, well adapted to climate and vegetation. The grass stratum, seasonally supplemented

by browsing shrubs and trees, is the only forage. Beef productivity is extremely low as a consequence of the

low carrying capacity of the area and minimal management. Despite very large ecological differences from the

savannah region the constraints of these systems are very similar (Iiguez, 1996).

5. THE PASTURE RESOURCE

The vegetation of Bolivia has been classified from different viewpoints but there is no generally agreed

classification of its rangelands. Nevertheless, the classifications drawn by Cochrane (1973) and by

Alzrreca (1992) show overall agreement and are used here. Complementary ecological maps have been

presented by Quiroga (1992).

The estimated area of grazing lands, including some relatively marginal areas, amounts to 707 200

km2 or 64% of the Bolivian territory (Alzrreca, 1985) distributed between the three physiographic

regions of the country (Table 5) that include, in a westeast direction, the Altiplano or Andes Highlands,

the Andean valleys and the eastern lowlands (Figure 1). These three regions encompass a high degree

of variability and they can usefully be subdivided for ruminant production into eight main ecological

regions, summarized in Table 6 (Alzrreca, 1985; Quiroga 1992). Within each region, different plant

communities can be found, the most important of which are described briefly in Table 7, which includesapproximate estimates of current dry matter yields. Nevertheless, the latter vary greatly with rainfall and,

as can be appreciated in Table 8, the Northern Altiplano has yields substantially above the average.

Altiplano

The natural vegetation is dominated by semi-arid Puna formations characterized by grasses, and less

frequently shrubs, of low nutritive value. Soils tend to be low in N and P, high in NaCl, and moderate

to low organic matter (Baldivia, 1998). Altiplano soils are affected by erosion to various degrees and

the existing estimates of the area affected range between 30 and 80%, depending on the severity of the

process. In fact, in some areas sand dunes have evolved through soil overuse (Baldivia, 1998) The erratic

rainfall ranges between 300 and 600 mm per year, and is supplemented by scarce irrigation when water

is available.

Communal crop and grazing lands are interspersed with privately-owned farms and all of them are

grazed by mixtures of camelids (llamas and alpacas), sheep and cattle in varying proportions depending

upon the location and altitude. As a consequence of pasture degradation the carrying capacity has decreased


12/18


13/18


to 1.5 ha/sheep, as opposed to 1 ha/sheep of well

managed Puna vegetation. Crops (potatoes, quinua

[Chenopodium quinoa], various beans and others)

tend to be concentrated in small areas, sometimes

including small parcels sown to lucerne and variousintroduced forage grasses (Baldivia, 1998).

The climax vegetation of the Altiplano or Puna

is considered to include the following species

(Quiroga, 1992): Stipa ichu, Calamagrostis spp.,

Nasella, sp., Baccharis incarum, Baccharis

boliviensisandParastrephia lepidophylla

Nevertheless, the distribution of these and other

species is influenced by pedological variables.

Examples of this variability and the corresponding

indicator species include (Quiroga, 1992; Alzrreca,

1985, 1992): Soils of humid plains: Muhlenbergia fastigia,

Haffmannseggia sp. Bouteloua simplex

Dry, saline plains: Anthobryum triandrum,

Suaeda fruticosa

Dry, sandy soils: Junellia seriphiodes,

Lampaya medicinalis

Stony, dry soils:Fabiana densa, Tetraglochin cristatum, Adesmia spp.

Stony, humid plains: Psila boliviensis

Saline soils:Distichlis humilis

Humid soils next to water streams:Festuca dolichophylla

River and lake borders:Parastrephia phylicaeformis

Regardless of location, the native pastures of the Altiplano are of low nutritive value, have lowcarrying capacity and only the native camelids are truly adapted and thrive. Where climatic conditions

and availability of supplementary water permit, sown species are established to supplement the diet

of cattle and sheep. This is particularly the case of the northern Altiplano, in the area of influence of

the Titicaca lake, where introduced species such as lucerne (Medicago sativa), tall fescue (Festuca

arundinacea), cocksfoot (Dactylisglomerata),Arrhenatherum elatius,Agroyron elongatumandPhleum

pratenseare relatively common. In the central and southern Altiplano, lucerne and weeping lovegrass

(Eragrostis curvula) are the only forages of any significance. In both regions, cereals such as barley and

oats are grown for cattle feeding, and experimental yields are shown in Table 9.


The original vegetation of the valleys was forest, the majority of which has disappeared or been degrad-ed through human intervention. In consequence, pastures in the region are based on sown grasses and,

to a much smaller extent, naturalized introduced species. Both were referred to in section 4, as related

to the description of ruminant production systems.

Eastern lowlands

The tropical savannahs of Beni are subject to alternate flood and drought. The rainy season extends

between late September and late April (similar to what occurs in the Brazilian areas East of the border);

rivers carrying water from the Andes towards the Amazon basin flood two-thirds of the area by December,

and until August. During this period, the Zebu (Nellore) and Zebu x Criollo cattle concentrate on portions

of the paddocks that remain a few centimetres above water level (alturas and semi-alturas, Tables

7 and 10); similar grazing systems are found in poorly drained savanna areas of Brazil, Colombia and

Venezuela. Carrying capacity of the savannahs ranges between three and eight ha/head. These production

systems are subject to very minimal management, and are constrained by the difficult accessibility of

most paddocks during the rainy season. Therefore, all animal categories (cows, heifers, calves, bulls

Table 8. Expected dry matter yields (tonnes/

ha/year) of different forages under differentmanagement scenarios in the northern Altiplano

of Bolivia

Species or plant

community

Current

managementconditions

Excellent

management

Medicago sativa 23 710

Phalarissp. + M. sativa 34 8

Bofedal 2.5 n.d.

Tolar 2 n.d.

(n.d. - no data)

Source: Estrada, Paladines and Quiros, 1998.

Table 9. Range of yields (tonnes DM/ha/year)

produced by forage cereals under experimentalconditions in two ecological regions of the

Bolivian Altiplano

Crop Semi-humid, 560 mm Semi-arid, 350 mm

Barley 78 24

Oats 48 12.5

Triticale 89 2.53.5

Modified from Alzrreca, 1992.


14/18


and steers) generally run together and are

harvested once or twice a year. In some

remote areas, animals may be slaughtered

on farm, and the carcasses flown to urban

centres in cargo planes, but three importantall-weather roads are under construction.

The Department of Santa Cruz has

370 621 km2 and represents one third of

the Bolivian land area; it has the highest

agricultural potential of the country. East of

the city of Santa Cruz, capital city of the Santa Cruz Department, the land is flat, soils tend to be alluvial

as a consequence of the runoff from the Andes, and the original vegetation was forest. The region is

presently largely deforested and since the 1980s has experienced a dramatic expansion of intensive

soybean-based cropping, following and adapting much of the technology employed in the Brazilian

Cerrados, on the other side of the border. Similarly, there has been a rapid, and unquantified expansion

of sown tropical pastures, again under the influence of Brazilian practices. Pastures are dominated byBrachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria brizantha, with a minor contribution of other species such as

Brachiaria humidicola, Panicum maximumand others. Two cattle-based production systems are practised.

Near the urban centres dual-purpose systems are common among small and medium ranchers. These

are characterized by crossbred cows (crosses of Zebu with Criollo, Brown Swiss or Holstein) which are

milked once daily with calf at foot to allow milk let down (Patterson et al., 1981). Typical saleable milk

yields range between 2 and 6 kg milk/day/cow, frequently over extended lactations of over 280 days

and fed exclusively on low-input pastures, supplemented with mineral mixtures and with some cut-and-

carry forage (elephant grass or sugar cane) during the dry season. In regions further removed from urban

centres and roads, properties tend to be larger, 3001 500 ha on average, and generally combine crops

such as soybean and various cereals with cow-calf and beef fattening operations. Nevertheless, the crop

and cattle activities are seldom integrated in a planned manner, so that well integrated crop-livestock

systems are scarce although the potential is reputedly high (Martnez, 1999).Extensive beef production systems also characterize the semi-arid tropics of Bolivia, part of the

large Chaco ecosystem that extends over Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. As indicated in

Tables 5 and 6, the area tends to be hot and combines extensive grassy areas with shrubs and low lying

thorny trees. Beef breeding ranches mostly have Criollo cattle, well adapted to climate and vegetation.

The grass stratum, seasonally supplemented by browsing shrubs and trees constitutes the only forage

resource. Beef productivity is extremely low, as a consequence of the low carrying capacity of the area

and minimal management. Despite the very large ecological differences with the savannah region, the

constraints of these systems are very similar (Iiguez, 1996)

6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURE

RESOURCES

Development prospects vary widely across the country. The most difficult research challenge is presented

by the agricultural and animal production systems of the high Andes, for which a rather grim analysis has

recently been made by IFPRI (Walker et al., 2000). In effect, the authors argued that despite many years

of research funded by national and international resources the adoption of technologies has been minimal,

and suggest that the main constraint may be improved access to market and information, rather than tech-

nology. Nevertheless, it can also be argued that continuing research efforts on the interaction of livestock

systems (e.g. commercial exploitation of camelids) with natural resources will increasingly be needed.

The Eastern Lowlands present totally different challenges. The region has benefited, and will likely

continue to profit, from research carried out in the Brazilian Cerrados. Nevertheless, the significant

difference in soils with the Brazilian savannas require research attention on their own. Cattle production

Table 10. Physiography of the alluvial savannahs of

Mojos, Beni

Sub-region Topography Area

km2 %

Undulating plains

Alluvial plains

Alluvial plains withriverine influences

Slightly undulating

Occasional seasonal flooding

Seasonally flooded

Occasionally flooded by rivers

23 718

57 966

39 377

14 882

17.5

42.6

29.0

10.9

Source: Morales and Abasto, 1999.


15/18


systems in Eastern Bolivia are being modernized; this implies the need for improved grazing and feeding

strategies, and the screening of forage species adapted to the new economic circumstances. Also, there

appears to be a role for leguminous forages in the reclamation of soils compacted and degraded by

intensive cropping. Lastly, the spatial and temporal integration of crops and cattle deserves continuing

attention, as well as their environmental impacts.Environmental and social impacts of pasture- and forage-based systems in the interandean valleys

constitute a major priority in view of the concentration of resource-poor small farmers in those areas.

The extent to which some of these valleys can contribute to the production of high value crops, as

exemplified by forage seed production, needs to be ascertained. In addition to the generation of

appropriate technologies for small farmers, institutional arrangements need to be developed.

7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

As is true in most of Spanish-speaking Latin America, government R&D institutions have been in a

state of turmoil throughout the 1990s, associated with the rapid rate of privatization of many of the

services traditionally offered by central governments. In the case of Bolivia, numerous non-government

organizations (NGOs) are active, but in general they do not carry out systematic, long-term research on

agricultural technology. Some (government-financed) universities have modest research programmes, in

general with a local or provincial focus.

IBTA, the Bolivian institute of agricultural research, has a country-wide mandate on agricultural

research with the noted exception of the Santa Cruz Department, but has lost a significant portion of its

staff and resources.

CIAT (not to be confused with the international CIAT located in Colombia) is the centre for

agricultural research in the Santa Cruz Department. It has substantial research capacity, partially

supported by a small number of British researchers, but both components, the national staff and theexpatriates, have been subjected to decreasing financial resources.

Throughout the country a number of farmers and ranchers associations are very active in influencing

rural development policies, associating small producers to face national and international markets, and

in general supporting training and capacity building. Notable examples are SEFO, a cooperative of very

small farmers that specializes in production of tropical forage seed (Ferguson, 1993), and the Fundacin

Cipriano Barac that concentrates on beef production in Beni.

8. REFERENCES

Alzrreca, H.(1985). Campos naturales de pastoreo de Bolivia. InMesa Redonda sobre la Promocin del

Manejo de las Praderas Nativas de SudAmrica. O. Paladines, ed., Santiago, Chile, unpublished mimeo.

Alzrreca, H. (1992). Overview of small ruminant research in the Bolivian Andean zone. In Sustainable

Crop-Livestock Systems for the Bolivian Highlands, Proceedings of an SR-CRSP Workshop, C. Valdivia,

ed. Columbia: University of Missouri.

Baldivia, J. (1998). Estrategias Para Recuperar El Altiplano Pachamamam Urupa Qhantawi Bolivia.

Experiencias Exitosas En Mitigacion De La Pobreza.Cooperacion Horizontal En America Latina y El

Caribe. PNUD-World Bank- Fundacion Interamericana.

CEPAL. (1999). Boletn Demogrfico. Amrica Latina: proyecciones de poblacin urbana y rural. Ao

XXXII, No. 63. Santiago, Chile.

Cochrane, T.T. (1973). The land use potential of Bolivia: a land systems map. Ministry of Overseas

Development, F.C.O. London, England, 827 p.

Cochrane, T.T., L.G. Snchez, L.G. de Azevedo, J.A. Porras and C.L. Garver. (1985). Land in Tropical

America. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia; Empresa Brasileira de


16/18


Pesquisa Agropecuaria, Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuaria dos Cerrados (EMBRAPA-CPAC), Planaltina,

D.F., Brasil, 5 volumes

Dirven, M.(1999).El papel de los agentes en las polticas agrcolas: intenciones y realidad. Revista CEPAL

68: 171. .

Estrada, R.D., O. Paladines and R. Quiros.(1998).Pobreza y degradacin de suelos en los andes altos. Laexperiencia de CONDESAN.VII Encuentro Internacional De RIMISP, Impacto ambiental de la pobreza

rural, impacto social del deterioro ambiental. El rol de los instrumentos de desarrollo agrcola. http://www.

rimisp.cl/

FAO Databases2006 (website http://apps.fao.org/)

Ferguson, J.E. (1993). Seed biology and seed systems for Arachis pintoi. In Biology and Agronomy of

ForageArachis. P. C. Kerridge and B. Hardy, eds. Cali: CIAT.

INE, Instituto Nacional de Esatdstica. Censo Nacional de Poblacin y Vivienda de 1992. La Paz. 1992.

http://www.ine.gov.bo/

Iiguez, L. (1996). Assessment of livestock production systems in Bolivia. In Latin America Livestock

Regional Assessment Workshop, San Jos, Costa Rica. University of California, Management Entity, Small

Ruminant CRSP.

Quiroga, J.C. (1992). Agroecological characterization of the Bolivian Altiplano. In Sustainable Crop-

Livestock Systems for the Bolivian Highlands, Proceedings of an SR-CRSP Workshop, C. Valdivia, ed.

Columbia: University of Missouri.

Martnez, L. (1992). Produccin de gramneas del gnero Brachiaria y Panicum en Santa Cruz. In Red

Internacional de Evaluacin de Pastos Tropicales, RIEPT, 1. Reunin de Sabanas. CIAT, Brasilia, Brasil,

pp. 23238

Martnez, L.(1999).Potencial de los sistemas agropastoriles en el manejo de suelos degradados en Santa

Cruz, Bolivia. InSistemas Agropastoriles en Sabanas Tropicales de Amrica Latina. E.P. Guimares, J.O.

Sanz, I.M. Rao, M.C. Amzquita and E. Amzquita, eds. Cali: CIAT.

Morales, S. and P. Abasto. (1999).Desarrollo de un sistema de apoyo a la toma de decisiones de manejo

para la ganadera del Beni, Bolivia. Unpublished.

Patterson, R.T.C. Samur y O.(1981). Bress.Efecto de pastoreo complementario de leguminosa reservadasobre la produccin de leche durante la estacin seca. Produccin Animal Tropical 6: 135140.

Walker, T., S. Swinton,, R. Hijmans, R. Quiroz, R. Valdivia, M. Holle, C. Len-Velarde and J. Posner.

(2000). Technologies for the tropical Andes. Promoting Sustainable Development in Less-Favoured Areas.

IFPRI, 2020 Vision, Focus 4, Brief 3.

Other references

Macas, M.(1984). Caracterizacin de los suelos de la Amazona Boliviana. OEA, Programa de Desarrollo

Integral de la Amazoa. Trinidad, Bolivia, 152 p.

Webpages of interest

The page of the Latin American Association of Animal Production, its Spanish acronym being ALPA(Asociacin Latinoamericana de Produccin Animal). It provides access to the summaries of papers published

in the corresponding journal,Archivos Latinoamericanos de Produccin Animal, which includes a section on

pastures, one on ruminant production and another on production systems: www.alpa.org.ve

9. CONTACTS

Mr. Bernardo Bauer

Fundacin Cipriano Barace

Trinidad, Beni

Bolivia

Mr. Bauer email: [email protected]

Foundation email: [email protected]


17/18


Dr. Luis Iiguez

RERUMEN

Casilla 2294

Cochabamba, Bolivia

Fax 591-42-80738Email [email protected]

NGOs involved in natural resource management, planning:

FUND-ECO

Campus Universitario, calle 27 Cota-Cota

Casilla 3-12376

La Paz, Bolivia

Fax 591-2-797511

Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios Comunitarios, CIECC. Belisario Salinas No. 228

Casilla 159

La Paz, Bolivia

Fax 591-2-432662

Proteccin del Medio Ambiente Tarija, PROMETA

Mendez 172

Casilla 59

Tarija, Bolivia

Fax 591-66-33873

National Agricultural Research InstituteDr. Edmundo Espinoza

Chief, Livestock and Forages Program

Instituto Boliviano de Tecnologa Agropecuaria

Contact: Dr. Humberto Alzrreca

Casilla 5783

La Paz, Bolivia

Phone: 591-2-374589

Telefax 591-2-392551

Regional Agricultural Research InstituteCentro de Investigaciones Agrcolas Tropicale

Ing. Agr. Gustavo Pereyra, Director

Av. Ejrcito 131,

Casilla 247

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Fax 591-33-42996

[email protected]

Cooperative SEFOS

Cochabamba

Bolivia

(Successful cooperative of small seed producers; specializes on tropical grasses and legumes)Manager, Mr. Gastn Sauma

Phone: 591-42-88646


18/18


10. AUTHOR

Dr. Raul R. Vera is a former Senior Scientist and Leader of the Tropical Pastures Program, International

Center of Tropical Agriculture, CIAT, based in Cali, Colombia. He is currently a private consultant and

part-time researcher of the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile.

Ral R. Vera

2 Norte 443 dpto. 52

Via del Mar, Chile 2534194

Fax (Chile) 56-2-552 9435

[email protected]

[The profile was prepared in late 2000, edited by J.M. Suttie and S.G. Reynolds in January, 2001 and

modified by S.G. Reynolds in May 2006.]

Bolivia English

Documents

Transcript of Bolivia English