INIFAP National Photography Constest 2020

2nd Place, Livestock Category

Author: Jerónimo Sepúlveda Vázquez

Title Curious sheep 

Livestock production in Mexico is currently facing the pressures of globalization and growth of national and global demand for animal-source foods. Despite the 8.5% drop in the national economy caused by the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic during 2020, the primary GDP associated with livestock grew 2.8% during this period and has maintained an uninterrupted growth streak in the last five years, with a rate above the national economy.

According to the data reported by SIAP (January 2021), during 2020, the production of bovine milk increased 2.3%, table egg 2.0%, chicken meat 3.6%, pork 3.1%, bovine meat 2.6%, sheep meat 1.1%, goat meat unchanged and only honey production decreased 12.7%, compared to 2019.

These positive indicators, however, contrast with the alarming figures of natural resource degradation, vulnerability to climate change and poverty levels in rural areas of high and very high marginalization.

For this reason and within the framework of the 35th anniversary of our Institution, the General Directorate of INIFAP wants to share in this Supplement 3, a series of reviews on the advances and perspectives of the research developed in INIFAP on livestock issues of great interest to the national livestock, such as animal production and health. In most cases, the research works were carried out in cooperation with other research and educational institutions at the national and international levels, in addition to the active participation of federal, state authorities and producers.

It is expected that, by sharing this Supplement 3, the development of new comprehensive livestock systems based on scientific research will be stimulated, which will continue to contribute to the increase of productivity, sustainable management and protection of natural resources, the improvement of the quality of life of livestock producers and, at the same time, reduce their vulnerability to climate change.

To achieve the latter, the participation of decision-makers and producer associations is essential in the search for instruments of agricultural and technological support policy that facilitate the incorporation of sustainable systems that are generated in livestock development programs at the national level.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the livestock researchers who, throughout these 35 years, have contributed with the generation of knowledge and technologies to the development of livestock farms in the country and to the positioning of our Institution.

SINCERELY,