Tropicultura (Jan 1999)
Minilivestock in Argentina. Integration with Agricultural Production
Abstract
The development of alternative agricultural production can take different forms. In Argentina there is an important diversity of species available to be incorporated into production systems, giving support for the use of natural resources based on taking advantage of the regional fauna. Moreover the use of different animal species can be incorporated under the concept of the optimization of flows of energy and materials, tending to minimize the environmental impact of livestock production, and also to make more efficient use of the ingredients required for developing the activity. The integration of non-traditional species (minilivestock) within the context of sustainable agricultural development was the motivation for the present study A module for raising Myocastor coypus (coypu or false nutha) was developed, to which was linked a module for raising Eisenia foetida (the socalled red worm), in both cases with a dual purpose. Preliminary estimates were made of the productive aspects of both species, as well as an analysis of their integration, to understand the extent to which diversification linked with complementation tends to optimize the system.
