Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
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Rica, 47 ha in Honduras, and 97 ha in Nicaragua, whereas for sugarcane<br />
374 ha are needed in Costa Rica, 61 ha in Honduras, and 800 ha in<br />
Nicaragua.<br />
Strategy <strong>to</strong> Promote the Adoption of New Technologies<br />
The requirements <strong>to</strong> reach a level of adoption similar <strong>to</strong> Level 1 are<br />
relatively easy <strong>to</strong> achieve given the large benefits that can be obtained in<br />
terms of reduced production costs and increased cash flow due <strong>to</strong> the<br />
substitution of purchased inputs <strong>with</strong> improved germplasm. Use of family<br />
labor, frequently underutilized or <strong>with</strong> a very low opportunity cost, especially<br />
in Nicaragua and Honduras, is more efficient.<br />
The strategy <strong>to</strong> ensure successful adoption of Level 1 and subsequent<br />
advance <strong>to</strong>ward other levels of adoption consists in establishing strategic<br />
alliances <strong>with</strong> organized farmers groups and/or extension agencies. These<br />
alliances allow the:<br />
• Identification of producers interested in establishing seed multiplication<br />
plots on their farms so that they become facilita<strong>to</strong>rs for the local<br />
expansion of new areas in each region, and<br />
• Creation of a followup mechanism <strong>to</strong> find markets for the seed<br />
produced, by identifying early adopters.<br />
Conclusions<br />
The potential benefits that result from the progressive adoption of new<br />
forage options based on grasses and legumes validated by the Tropileche<br />
Consortium include the following:<br />
• Level 1 of adoption (new germplam based on Cratylia and sugarcane <strong>to</strong><br />
substitute feed supplements for herds) allows producers in all three<br />
countries <strong>to</strong> completely eliminate the need <strong>to</strong> purchase feed supplements<br />
for the herd, especially during the dry season. This effect has a large<br />
impact on the cash flow of producers because milk production cost can<br />
be reduced by 14% in Costa Rica, by 25% in Honduras, and by 11% in<br />
Nicaragua.<br />
• Level 2 of adoption (areas of Cratylia and sugarcane similar <strong>to</strong> Level 1,<br />
plus variable areas of Brachiaria in each country) not only offers the<br />
benefits obtained <strong>with</strong> Level 1, but also allows the producer <strong>to</strong> maintain<br />
the same milk production and herd size in a smaller area, thus releasing<br />
areas <strong>to</strong> be allocated <strong>to</strong> other alternative uses. The released areas vary<br />
from 9% in the case of Honduras <strong>to</strong> 39% in Costa Rica and 45% in<br />
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