EL ZACATE BUFFEL COMO UNA ALTERNATIVA PARA INCREMENTAR LA RENTABILIDAD DE LOS RANCHOS EN LA ZONA SERRANA DE SONORA

Résumé 0

"production at a ranch with deteriorated and low productive rangelands in the mountains ofSonora, México, comparing it with two options which include sowing buffelgrass [Cenchrusciliaris (L.) Link], as an alternative to increase forage and beef production capabilities. Threeranches of 1,000 hectares each were considered with similar cattle management practices andreproductive indexes, one of which works with its actual production capabilities without futureimprovement plans. The other two options include range improvements by interseeding 200hectares of buffelgrass annually, with the variant that the first works with its own resources andthe second with external financing and government assistance. A financial computer programwith a 14 years projection was used to determine profit at the diverse scenarios. Real costs werecalculated at all cases including fixed and management costs, medicaments, supplementation,seeding costs and animal buying; as well as generated profit by selling yearlings andunproductive animals. Results show that the deteriorated ranch displays an annual constantmaintenance capability of 40 animal units (A.U.), while rehabilitated ranches with either, theirown resources or with external financing and government assistance reach an annualmaximum maintenance capability of 333 A.U., both starting at the sixth year. Annual meaneconomic profit at the ranch with deteriorated rangelands varied from $ 10.85 to $ 22.19 perhectare, and it was maintained relatively stable during the fourteen projected years. Revenue atthe ranch rehabilitated with their own resources was negative during the first five years, untilthe inversion of the grass seeding and cattle was paid, and it was until the eleventh year whenthe stabilization point was reached. Revenue at the ranch rehabilitated with external financingwas negative during the first six years, until the inversion of the grass seeding and cattle waspaid, and it was until the tenth year when the stabilization point was reached. Annual meaneconomic profit at the ranches rehabilitated varied from $ 435.09 to 449.03 per hectare at thestability point, and resulted 25.7 times greater as compared to the deteriorated ranch withoutrehabilitation. We conclude that cattlemen at ranches in rangelands in poor condition mustincrease forage and cattle production capabilities to make the activity of cattle raising moreprofitable. Range improvement by buffelgrass seeding is a good alternative to rehabilitatedegraded rangelands on ranches with low production capability at the mountains of Sonora,Mexico. External support throughout financing or government assistance plays a veryimportant role on the application of rangeland rehabilitation practices and it could be the onlyoption for most ranchers."