TYPIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SMALL AND MEDIUM LIVESTOCK FARMS FROM THE DISTRICT OF GUALACA, CHIRIQUÍ - PANAMA

Abstract

The objectives were typify and characterize small and medium livestock farms of Gualaca district (Chiriqui) taking account the existence and management of the resources, livestock, economic and social-cultural indexes. Data came from a static diagnostic realized on 20 cow-calf system farms. The information was analyzed by Principal Component (ACP), Cluster (AC) and Discriminant (AD) procedures. It was taken a priori 34 variables related to socio-economic, farm resources, feed supplementation, genetics, management, pastures, herd health and production aspects. There were considered 12 variables with coefficient of variation >45%.  From ACP were identified four principal components representing the 71,7% of the total variance. Farms were grouped into three groups by the AC and the AD allowed probabilistically the final grouping of the farms (A, B and C). Group A (eight farms) has higher total area (77,5 ha), herd size (72,5 heads), pasture area (54,3 has), pasture-farm area ratio (74,7%), calf mortality (10,9%) and money loaned (B/.118 250,00). Group B (nine farms) reported higher experience years (55,9 years), age at first calving (32,0 months), weaning live weight (178,6 kg), sold calf kilos (1 869,0), weaned calf kilos/cow exposed to bull (74,4 kg) and weaned calf kilos/pasture-area (155,0 kg).  Group C (three farms) has no forest area but reported higher UA/ha (1,673), calving rate (51,9%), cow disposable rate (12,1%), hectare value (B/.7 222,22), farm value (B/. 214 166,70), total income (B/.5 700,00), income/ha (B/.190,10), income/pasture-ha (B/.429,30). It was conclude that exits heterogeneity among studied livestock farms and the multivariate techniques allowed describe and understand much better the complexity of the farms grouped into homogenous groups.