Livestock: Characterization of the production system in the Macaúba District, Araguatins, Brazil

Abstract

Current research characterizes the production system of cattle breeding in the Macaúba District, Araguatins TO Brazil. Four questionnaires comprising social, economic and technical parameters were applied to obtain a simple arithmetical mean, percentages, birth and death rates. Questionnaires were applied after authorization from participants; sampling involved 29 farms. Fifty percent of the farms deal with beef cattle, 15% with dairy cows and 35% with both. The people involved in the activity were small- and medium-size producers. The herd comprised 12,200 cattle in approximately 5,768 h of pasture. Sanitary and animal control were undertaken by all producers, whilst birth and mortality rates were respectively 57.2% and 2%. Sixteen farms do not have any financial or administrative control; five undertook artificial insemination and only one is still using the technique. Livestock producers are mainly active within the animals' breeding phase and the animals are finished at the abattoir. Dairy farms do not use any technology and mechanical milking is rare. Milk is sent to the dairy factory in Buriti do Tocantins. Results show that, due to soil-climatic reasons, the region analyzed has a great potential for large-scale production, albeit scantily exploited.