Local feed resources and indigenous breeds: fundamental issues in integrated farming systems

摘要

Thetropicspresentgreatopportunitiesforsustainabledevelopmentthankstotheenormousculturalandbiologicalrichesoftheseregions.Therationalexploitationoflocalfeedsandlocalbreedsoflivestockwillsupportmuchmoresustainableproductionsystemsinthemediumandlongterm.Thesehavereceivedinsufficientattentioninthepastandhavenotbeenconsideredseriouslybecauseoftheintroductionofquot;exoticquot;systemsbasedonhighinputs,hightechnologyandquot;breedsofhighgeneticmeritquot;.Asaresult,localbreedsofpigsandcattleinmanytropicalcountrieshavedisappearedortheirpopulationisdecreasingdrastically.On-farmresearchhasshownthatsmallscalefarmersinVietnamandinmanypartsofthetropicalworldcontinuetoworkwithlocalbreedsbecauseoftheirgoodadaptationtotheprevailingconditions.AprojectwascarriedoutintwovillagesinarainfedhillyregioninCentralVietnam,involvingtheuseoflocalMongCaipigs,localfeedssupplementedwithduckweed,andplasticbiodigesterstoproduceenergyforcookingandthenitrogen-richeffluentasfertilizerforthepondsinwhichtheaquaticplantsweregrown.AstudyofthenutritionofMongCai,LargeWhiteandcrossbredpigsshowedthattheindigenousbreedwouldeatgreaterquantitiesofduckweedanduseitmoreefficientlythantheexoticbreed.Localsowsfedduckweedwerealsomoreprolificthanexoticbreedsonsmallfarmswithfeedresourcesoflownutrientdensity.Thestudieswerecarriedoutwithaparticipatoryapproachwhichidentifiedtheimportanceofthelocalpigsandfeedresourcesandtheenthusiasticadoptionofthebiodigestertechnologyandtheproductionofduckweedbasedonthefertilizedponds.Theprioritiesofthefarmerswereidentifiedandaproposedinterventionbasedonrestrictedmilkingoflocalcattleabandonedbecauseitwasconsideredtoolongterm.ParallelstudiesinCambodialedtothedevelopmentofpigfeedingbasedonjuicefromthesugarpalm(Borassusflabillifer)supplementedwithboiledsoyabeanseedandwaterspinach.Biodigesterswerealsointegratedintothefarmingsystem.Thevariousstudiesdemonstratethattheappropriateuseoflocalfeedresourcesandindigenouslivestockbreedsrequirescloseintegrationbetweencropsandlivestockwithinthesystem.Theexcretaisrecycledonthefarmtoproduceenergyandtheeffluentisusedforfertilizertoproduceproteinsupplementsforthelivestock.