The value of improved pastures to Brazilian beef production

Liana Jank; Sanzio C. Barrios; Cacilda B. do Valle; Rosangela M. Simeão; Geovani F. Alves

doi:10.1071/cp13319

journal article Mar 11, 2014

The value of improved pastures to Brazilian beef production

Liana Jank

Sanzio C. Barrios Cacilda B. do Valle Rosangela M. Simeão Geovani F. Alves

Crop & Pasture Science Vol. 65 No. 11 pp. 1132-1137 · CSIRO Publishing

View at Publisher Save 10.1071/cp13319

Abstract

Brazil is an agricultural country, with 190 Mha of pastures sustaining 209 million cattle. Fewer than 10% of the cattle are fattened in feedlots, whereas cattle reared on pastures have a competitive advantage for export, eliminating the risks presented by the mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and considerations related to animal welfare. Brazil has been the world’s largest exporter of beef since 2004 and has the largest commercial herd in the world. In 2011, 16.5% of its production was exported, and the livestock sector contributed 30.4% of the gross national product from agribusiness and 6.73% of the total GNP. Many forage breeding programs, mainly at Embrapa, have contributed to the development of improved pastures, and cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha, B. decumbens, B. humidicola and Panicum maximum are the main pastures used in the country. All have apomictic reproduction, which means there are few cultivars occupying very large, continuous areas, thus suggesting a risk to the productive system. Such is the case of B. brizantha cv. Marandu, which occupies around 50 Mha. The Brazilian tropical forage seed industry is also important, and Brazil is the main seed exporter, supplying all Latin American countries. Due to pasture degradation, around 8 Mha is renovated or recovered each year. Forages are also used and planted each year in integrated crop–livestock and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems. Nowadays, these systems occupy 4 Mha. Improved pastures are thus a major asset in Brazil not only for the beef production chain but also for the dairy industry.

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References

Details

Published: Mar 11, 2014
Vol/Issue: 65(11)
Pages: 1132-1137
License: View

Authors

L

Liana Jank

AEmbrapa Beef Cattle, Embrapa, Rua Radio Maia, 830, 79106-550, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.; BCorresponding author. Email: liana.jank@embrapa.br

S

Sanzio C. Barrios

AEmbrapa Beef Cattle, Embrapa, Rua Radio Maia, 830, 79106-550, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

C

Cacilda B. do Valle

AEmbrapa Beef Cattle, Embrapa, Rua Radio Maia, 830, 79106-550, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

R

Rosangela M. Simeão

AEmbrapa Beef Cattle, Embrapa, Rua Radio Maia, 830, 79106-550, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

G

Geovani F. Alves

AEmbrapa Beef Cattle, Embrapa, Rua Radio Maia, 830, 79106-550, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

Cite This Article

Liana Jank, Sanzio C. Barrios, Cacilda B. do Valle, et al. (2014). The value of improved pastures to Brazilian beef production. Crop & Pasture Science, 65(11), 1132-1137. https://doi.org/10.1071/cp13319

The value of improved pastures to Brazilian beef production

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