Llama farmer
Loading...
Authors
Monica Cuba
Issue Date
2017-09
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture , Energy
Alternative Title
Abstract
Much of Bolivia’s rural population experiences food shortages. Communities who rely on farming have to contend with the increasing variability of rainfall. The weight of poverty falls particularly hard on indigenous women, who have little access to land, housing, credit, technology or training. Limited natural resources, environmental pressures and price volatility leave Bolivia facing challenges in increasing agricultural productivity in in an environmentally sustainable way. Many small farmers in Bolivia breed camelids (which include llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos) and there are around 3.5 million of these animals in the country. Water and fodder are limited by the climate and soil quality. In addition animal health services are poor and technical assistance and processing facilities inadequate. Weak co-ordination between producers, poor market knowledge and limited financial services leave farmers with low levels of income. Were working with 300 families and the local government in the Jesus de Machaca, Santiago de Machaca and Pucarani regions of La Paz to help them increase their incomes. Forming co-operatives that work together on product quality and marketing helps farmers to obtain better prices. An innovation fund is investing in technical improvements such as wells, water pumps and troughs as well as shelters and breeding pens for animals and solar dryers to make a popular Bolivian dried llama meat called charque. According to farmer José Luis Pucho of Acoprocca, the local co-operative, the dehydration of meat takes up to two days depending on the sunshine. “The new equipment conserves nutrients better, we will increase family production by up to 50%.” He said. Farmers are able to access technical advice on rearing and breeding techniques, natural resource management, wool and meat processing techniques, as well as business planning and marketing. Thanks to this they are now able to sell their meat products to supermarkets and hotels, in partnership with Sumita, a meat processing company in Pucarani. At the beginning of this year the 72 families in Añufani were desperately short of water. Now they have installed a solar photovoltaic pump to irrigate their land to grow forage grass for their animals. Fernando Arevillca, project manager and camelid expert describes some of the improved technologies he is supporting. "The solar pumping system is intended for sprinkler irrigation and domestic camelid consumption. There is a big expectation for its replication by institutions linked to the camelid industry; even more, when there is an electric fence for the conservation of native grasslands. The solar dryers are semi-tunnel structures made of stainless steel and polycarbonate and have trays to dry up to 40 kilos of meat.” The community company aims to improve and diversify their offer by introducing new products, including the cooked charque and crispy charque with corn toast for school breakfasts.