Adaptive practices to reduce environmental vulnerability due to drought in livestock production

Resumen

Objective: To analyze the use of different adaptive practices that cattle producers carry out in Concordia, Sinaloa, located on the dry tropics of Mexico, to reduce the environmental vulnerability caused by drought.

Design/methodology/approach: Intentional sampling was used to interview n=40 cattle producers from Concordia, Sinaloa, during the year 2023. Through percentile analysis, four types of producers were characterized. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-squared tests for qualitative variables were used, in order to determine the differences between groups.

Results: There are adaptive practices for drought, which are poorly understood (22.4% of livestock producers know them) and of low use (under 26%). The producers who use this type of practices more are those who have greater environmental vulnerability to drought (less surface, fewer heads of livestock, and in general insufficient productive resources). The most widely used practice was the availability of shade in paddocks and the use of conservation methods for fodders.

Limitations on study/implications: The results were applied to a sample selected and a region in particular.

Findings/conclusions: Contrary to the hypothesis set out, small-scale producers are the ones that make greater use of adaptive practices and technologies for livestock production. The percentage of livestock producers who use these practices is less than 26%, despite there being local institutions that promote their use.