El Salvador - GFDRR

38 | El Salvador: Damage, Loss, and Needs Assesment
c) Livestock Subsector
In 2008, the livestock subsector gave a greater momentum to the economy, contributing 11.5% of
agricultural GDP; it also provided some 152,098 direct jobs dealing with bovine cattle and 10,170 jobs
dealing with hogs. The sum of indirect jobs exemplifies the great importance of this subsector, accounting
for a total of about 811,340 jobs.
IMAGE 15. CORN
Source: National Center for Agricultural, Livestock and Forest Technology (CENTA).
In addition, MAG has contributed to development by delivering machinery and equipment for the
development and use of new technologies. These deliveries included milking machines, cooling tanks,
semen banks, hammermills, mixers, choppers, harvesters, shellers, feeding centers, silos and tractors with
their respective implements. 26
Despite the high costs of raw materials for the preparation of animal feed, especially corn, soy meal
and fats, beef production showed an increase of 6.6% in 2008, supported by the use of lower-cost alternative
techniques, with better results used in the cattle fattening process. In addition, the strategy to
improve producers’ profitability has been to sell heavier animals. 27
The poultry sector experienced a 13.5% drop in chicken meat production and 6.2% in egg production.
For 2009, MAG again estimated a 5% reduction in production compared to that recorded in 2008.
The poultry subsector was affected the most, with the loss of 40,918 laying hens, the largest number
corresponding to commercial farms, but it should also be considered that the 2,736 backyard chickens
belong to peasant families who are on the poverty or extreme-poverty line, and thus the disaster’s impact
reduced their incomes. Other damages correspond to smallholder economy, as shown in the chapter dealing
with livelihoods.
Damages and losses in this subsector total US$6.8 million and are especially concentrated on egg
production.
26
See: MAG, Status Report, op. cit.
27
Ibid.