Abstract

MARTINEZ-PARTIDA, JA et al. Goat and sheep breeding under the rural development programme in Baja California. Universidad y ciencia [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.3, pp.331-344. ISSN 0186-2979.

The production performance of sheep and goat breeding in Baja California was evaluated through a direct survey of 54 goat and sheep breeders (GSB) that received grants from the Rural Development Programme (RDP) between 2000-2004. These were distributed in the municipalities of Mexicali, Ensenada, Tecate and Tijuana, and were selected using a stratified sampling design with proportional assignment. The personal questionnaires included animal husbandry practices related to reproduction, feeding, health, management and socioeconomic variables. Results indicated that Mexicali had the greatest number of cattle and that the most important reason for buying cattle was that the subsidy superseded the business opportunity. The results also indicated that both sheep and goat husbandry lacked appropriate practices. The productive parameters for goats were: prolificacy (P) 1.7 ± 0.1, first mating age (A) 6.9 ± 0.8 months, and mortality (M) 21.2% ± 9.3; whereas for sheep the parameters were: 1.4 ± 0.1, 6.2 ± 0.6 and 19.9% ± 2.6 respectively for P, A and M. The values of these indicators of production are similar to those reported for other regions of Mexico. It was found that 57.3% of the GSB abandoned a production project as a result of low market prices and because they had supplementary sources of income. If no linkage is established between the RDP and technical assistance that promotes the use of better husbandry practices and the inclusion of strategies for the insertion of the GSB into the market, goat and sheep breeding will fail to become an activity that improves the level of income of the subsidy recipients.

Keywords : Goats; sheep; rural development.

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