DYNAMICS OF DEVELOPMENT OF DUAL PURPOSE CATTLE IN LAS CHOAPAS, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify which type of dual-purpose cattle (DP) producers are in to make the development of livestock in the municipality of Las Choapas Veracruz - Mexico based on the level of technology (NT) used in the cattle farms and business vision (VE) of the producers. A used a sample of 100 producers that representing 6.2 % of the livestock census in the municipality (1,630 farmers). We used a questionnaire that included social, economic, technological and productive variables. We created an index to determine the NT used on cattle ranches. The VE was determined on the perception of farmers on the development of the activity: formal business, family business and source of savings. We performed descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and test of means in the groups founded using the SAS program; the graphics were designed in the Statistica program. The NT used was high (3%), medium (17%) and low (80%). The 8% of cattle producers perceive dual-purpose cattle DP as a formal business for profit, 24 % as a family business and 68 % as a source of savings. There were no differences (p> 0.05) based in the NT and VE in relation to age, knowledge and experience but in terms of area, AU ha-1 and meat production. There are a relationship between VE and NT used on cattle ranches.