2024-07-31 16:57:22
Galapagos, 65 hectares of elephant grass located in the area called “Las Cañas” in the Galapagos National Park (PNG) is cut by cattle ranchers to serve as feed for cattle in the Island Region, affected by the lack of rainfall.
This initiative is led by the Galapagos District Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), and directly benefits 163 ranchers in Santa Cruz, who now have a viable alternative to maintain the nutrition of 7,176 heads of cattle during this critical period.
The province of Galapagos is facing a drought, which is why the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) declared an emergency in the agricultural sector, through Resolution No. 040 of June 26, 2024. This emergency will last for 90 days, with the possibility of being renewed according to the evaluation of the Emergency Operations Committee of the Galapagos Province.
As part of the actions, the grass is cut in “Las Cañas”, as an urgent measure to ensure the feeding of livestock. The methodology includes the formation of groups of six people in charge of chopping grass and operating machinery, such as forage harvesters and silage harvesters, which are placed in the area to be worked on.
The process of cutting, chopping and bagging grass is carried out in the presence of the beneficiaries and their work teams. The chopped grass is then transported from the Galapagos National Park area to the cattle farms.
This initiative has the collaboration of several institutions and key actors, including the MAG, the PNG, decentralized autonomous governments and local producers.
The MAG coordinates the extraction strategy and methodology; the PNG supervises and regulates activities within the National Park; the decentralized autonomous governments support the mobilization and distribution of grass, while producers actively participate in cutting and managing grass. Coordination is carried out through periodic meetings and constant communications between institutions and producers.
The distribution plan for the extracted grass ensures that it reaches the producers and animals that need it most. In addition, storage and conservation mechanisms, such as silage, are implemented to ensure the future availability of the grass. Producers also have containers to store the silage bags, thus facilitating their use in times of greatest need.
According to data from the National Agricultural Registry (Renagro 2022), in Galapagos there are 11,587 heads of cattle distributed in 348 Agricultural Production Units (UPAs).
There are also a total of 8,678.02 hectares of pastures used for cattle production, but 70% of these are affected by the lack of rain, which has reduced the body condition of the animals and decreased milk production by 44.17%.
By: www.agricultura.gob.ec