The main objective of the project is to bring about significant increases in the income levels of herders, local artisans and small entrepreneurs.
Project activities were to include:
- support for and strengthening of small producers’ organizations to promote technology transfer and adoption, and to facilitate access to needed financial resources;
- encouraging the adoption of proven technologies;
- developing financial mechanisms to improve and capitalize on existing production systems;
- strengthening internal and external marketing systems;
- creating links among small herders and microentrepreneurs (urban and rural) and providing technical and financial support for action aimed at improving the marketing of meat, pelts, furs and other subproducts;
- promoting more rational use of the agro-ecological and productive resource base, thereby contributing to improved environmental conditions; and
- supporting the participation of rural women in production, marketing and handicrafts activities.
The project got off to a slow start. High staff turnover and problems in project management affected project implementation. The project started in 1996 and it’s activities were revised in 2001 after the Mid-Term Evalution. Project approach was changed to focus mainly on marketing systems for camelid products.
The project has succeeded in promoting llama meat consumption especially in higher social groups. Dried meat markets have been developed and micro-enterprises created for dried meat production. Hides consumption and use has been increased and hide markets have been created. Project has supported the development of llama fiber use throughout the process until the final product. A comprehensive database about camelids and camelid producers has been created by the project.
Access to inputs and infrastructure
| Difficulties in achieving a balanced level of development in the project area are further aggravated by a lack of financial resources. This situation hampers investments in the area and holds up the adoption of appropriate technology. |
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Achieved |
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| Provide multi-purpose credit and loans for production, microenterprises and marketing, and create community revolving funds and a ‘guarantee fund’. |
16 503 families received credit. Credit has been distributed through Rotating Fund and Micro Credit Fund. Rotating Fund provides credit without interest to registered associations. Credit Fund gives loans to individuals and groups through private small banks. Through the credit component, women increased their participation in the production process, thereby gaining self-esteem and receiving more recognition of their role in society. |
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| In the project area, there is a complete lack of livestock production support services in terms of training, TA, technology transfer, veterinary services, organizations, etc. This has led to the stagnation of traditional production activities, and stymied the introduction of new technologies or adaptation to new market opportunities. |
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Achieved |
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| Transfer proven technologies (related to community and farmer issues, accounting, administrative management, animal health, pasture improvement, animal nutrition, fibre collection and transformation and marketing) at a relatively low cost. Strengthen local herder organizations. |
Some technology transfer has been undertaken. Coordination was developed among institutions and individuals concerned with camelid keeping, including development programmes, government institutions, universities, producer associations, traders, processors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), individual producers and other organizations. |
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| In 1996, there was a total absence of institutions to support the marketing of agricultural and livestock products. The traditional market is characterized by the presence of several intermediaries and a lack of infrastructure. The most frequently used products, with potential for internal and external marketing, are meat, leather and fibers. |
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| Identify quality standards and market opportunities for camelid meat, fiber and leather, and define marketing constraints. Design association structures to maximize producers’
economic returns. Calculate supply and demand and develop a
feedback system for producers, producer organizations and market
operators. Identify business opportunities for camelid producers,
and create market channels. Provide international TA to further
the development of international markets, facilitate cooperation
among producers and improve product presentation. |
Quality standards regulating the market for llama meat and fibre have been implemented. Training in fibre classification improved the capacity, of women in particular, to select better-quality fibre for the market. Rural enterprises producing fibre were consolidated and 25 hides and leather processing units were supported by the project. Meat-sales points were created in Oruro market in 1995-96, and similar structures were proposed in Potosi. However, due to management difficulties, only one of the four planned meat-sales points functioned properly, and activities were halted. Several slaughter places in the open air were created to demonstrate
slaughtering techniques. |
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| The camelids are kept in a cold and arid ecosystem, with temperatures as low as 12°C and an annual rainfall of 250mm. The lack of forage (linked to poor soil availability) is the main factor contributing to limited camelid production. In most regions, there is evidence of serious degradation caused by overgrazing and the forage has low nutrient levels. Between June and November, it is not possible to cover the maintenance requirements for livestock. Therefore, many animals are sold off at low prices regardless of their condition or category. The main objective is to sell them off before they die of starvation or serious malnutrition. Poor nutrition obviously results in poor resistance to disease, low fertility (42%) and a high mortality rate, especially among young animals (20%). |
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| Improve camelid production and productivity levels by promoting the protection of natural resources and use of primary technology appropriate to the region and the capacity of producers. Encourage rational livestock management in the project area. Improve pasture by means of fencing, water-capture systems and irrigation; increase the recuperative capacity of the bofedales (saturated-soil pasture lands) to boost carrying capacity. By means of fencing, grazing areas would be set aside to grow reserve forage for critical periods, thus reducing overgrazing, erosion and nutritional deficiency among livestock. Introduce pasture irrigation in order to improve the nutrition
of pregnant animals and of females before servicing. |
An awareness campaign aimed at producers encouraged the more rational use of production resources with a view to preserving the environment. Support was provided for the recuperation of 60 ha of natural pasture in four areas of La Paz and Oruro, and the bofedales were expanded. In two communities of Oruro, a study discouraged the use of traditional forages. Irrigation was not introduced. |
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| Camelids have a high productive capacity under the difficult environment conditions typical of the high Andean zones, which allows them to take advantage of the scarce, poor resources available. However, the high percentage of consanguinity (inbreeding) creates serious problems among local herds, as demonstrated by the many cases of genetic anomalies such as prognatism, polidactily, respiratory problems, etc., which have a direct bearing on birth rates, high death rates among young animals and serious problems related to the productive cycle. |
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Provide training and TA in all aspects of camelid breeding; and promote genetic improvement of livestock by selecting animals with desirable characteristics and exchanging breeding animals. |
Six genetic improvement centres were established, each with an average of 200 selected animals. However, the centres turned out to be generally ineffective, mainly due to poor management and lack of effective training on camelid genetic improvement. |
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| The lack of support for livestock production (veterinary service, livestock extension, livestock producer organizations) contributes to low production and productivity levels, a marked degree of consanguinity, and little productive specialization of camelid herds. The livestock producers’ long experience and knowledge of camelid husbandry is not sufficient to respond to current marketing and quality needs. Although the South-American domestic camelid is a resistant
and hardy species, poor feed and lack of veterinary treatment
leads to problems of morbidity, mortality and poor production.
Sarcocystosis is one of the main health problems in camelids
in the project area. |
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Achieved |
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| Improve animal health practices. |
Project funded two studies on Sarcocystosis. The other one looked at the economical importance of the disease and the other study was about the prevalence of the disease. |
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- High interest rates and lack of proper collateral (producers do not have land deeds or durable goods) meant that the camelid products had limited access to credit. Several rural organizations were unable to obtain credit since they were not legally constituted.
- During the design phase too wide variety of components were included to the project. This contributed to weak implementation performance in the beginning of the project. After the Mid-Term Evaluation the project approach was changed to be more focused on marketing issues and many other activities were dropped out. This has had a positive impact on the overall project performance.
- Training was originally given more quantitative than qualitative way. A lot of beneficiaries participated to the training sessions but only very few used the new skills in practice. To make training more effective the project changed its approach to provide more specific training to smaller groups based on beneficiaries own proposals.
- Private enterprises need to be closely included to this type of projects to support the sustainability of activities and markets created during the project.
- There is a need to design comprehensive programmes to include training and technology transfer on the productive, processing and marketing aspects of camelids as a whole and not in terms of individual components.
- Intermediate banks that provide credit to beneficiaries for camelid production should be provided technical training before starting handing out money. Training should include the basic economy of camelid production to enable the banks to estimate, which kinds of activities are likely being profitable.
- The agro-ecological character and geographic and morphological characteristics of the highlands are serious limitations on project design.
- Farmers and livestock producers are eager to manage the project funds and resources themselves.
- The camelid producers are reluctant to pay for veterinary services
and products, mostly because previous campaigns provided services
and products free-of-charge.
