Most of the population lacks suitable social services. In addition, productive services in support of agriculture, such as agricultural credit, extension, investigation and technological validation and training, are virtually absent. The communities are not connected to the main road system. Very few inhabitants of the rural areas have piped water supply.

Planned

Achieved

Provide short-, medium- and long-term credit to beneficiaries, particularly women, for farm investments (including livestock activities such as poultry, pig and sheep rearing), small-scale irrigation works and soil conservation, and microenterprises, marketing and agro-industrial activities. The credit beneficiaries would be small-scale farmers living below the poverty line, with less than 3.5 ha of cultivable land and a net family income of less than USD 1 600 a year. In addition, producers’ groups, associations and cooperatives with eligible members would have access to credit funds. Credit would be channelled through the National Bank for Agricultural Development because of its presence in the area and long experience with small-scale producers.

No information is yet available on the implementation of this component.

The population in the area enjoys a certain level of organization. The majority of people are represented by committees working to develop projects for the provision of potable water facilities, road improvement, etc. Some cooperatives have been affected by the violence that led to the disappearance of many of their associates, leaving the cooperatives with non-recoverable debts.

Planned

Achieved

Validate and expand the introduction and testing of technological packages suited to the area's multiple agro-ecological characteristics.

Create effective farmer organizations in the region, to cover such strategic areas as:

• small-scale irrigation;
• management of productive resources;
• small-scale enterprises;
• agricultural input/output marketing; and
• community and self-help associations.

Train project staff (10 857 person-days) and beneficiaries (19 990 person-days) through short courses, seminars, workshops, field days and exchange events directed at increasing the level of knowledge in agricultural and livestock production, marketing, soil and water conservation and management, small enterprises and credit. Conduct 324 small farmers’ training events and 61 staff-oriented events during the life of the project.

No information is yet available on the implementation of these components.

Live sheep are sold on local markets, and are often slaughtered on the spot under extremely unhygienic conditions. The profit for ‘butchers’ is high as there are no fixed costs: the difference between the price of the live animal and the carcass is large, and there is a good market for the skin, head and intestines. The main problem associated with mutton and lamb marketing is that sheep producers consider their animals as ‘savings’. This leads to low animal productivity and poor marketing of sheep products (meat and wool).

Planned

Achieved

Support and fund a marketing support service system based on beneficiary participation designed to improve sales conditions for small farmers.

Finance the construction of a marketing infrastructure network, based on the construction and installation of equipment for two collection and multiple-use centres in Soloma and Todos Santos.

Establish a market information service to collect information from local fairs and markets in Huehuetenango and Guatemala City.

Provide 14 marketing training courses and events for farmers and project staff.

No information is yet available on the implementation of these components.

The physiographic and agro-climatic characteristics of the project area, coupled with demographic and socio-economic pressures, have caused problems, and will continue to do so, in terms of the conservation of natural resources. The most immediate environmental risks have to do with deforestation and soil erosion, both of which could seriously affect the sustainability of farming systems in the medium and long term.

The existing grazing system allows sheep to remain in the same area for long periods of time, with a relatively high annual charge of animal per hectare. This leads to overgrazing, especially during the dry season, and consequent soil erosion. Techniques based on oat hay production have been developed to improve ruminant feeding systems during the dry season and thereby decrease the pressure on natural pastures. Some producers plant legumes (Vicia spp.) in association with oats to increase the nutritional value of hay and silage. However, there is no local production of Vicia seeds and it is expensive for sheep producers to import them. Other grass and legume varieties such as rye grass (Lolium multiflorum, var. tretone, westerwolth, violetto, perenne and hibrido), dactilos (Dactylis glomerata), festuca (Festuca pratensis) and trifle (Trifolium pratense) gave good results in trials. However, lack of seed availability and the cost involved limit their use by sheep farmers. Meseta’s natural pastures include a number of interesting legumes, such as common trifle (Trifolium amabile) and grass (Piptochaetia fimbratium, Mullembergia spp., Festuca dartonensis and Poa annuale, among others), which could be selected and used for pasture improvement. However, the lack of trained range-management staff coupled with the scarcity of resources for testing and evaluation are making the diffusion of this technique extremely difficult.

Planned

Achieved

Implement a specific farm model that mixes sheep and crop production, based on the traditional farming system. The model would include natural range management and soil and water conservation works and practices at the farm level.

Provide funds for a number of soil conservation works on communal lands and for watershed conservation works and practices associated with the rural roads construction programme.

Generate a biomass surplus of 10% of the feed demand, lowering grazing pressure on the natural range of 3 240 ha, by supplementary forage feeding programmes, range conservation and management practices, and constant herd size numbers in the sheep production component.

Credit was allocated to 500 farmers for improved sheep production (in particular, for the construction of mini-dams and reservoirs to collect water). The new farm model made it possible to integrate productive and environmental aspects, including recovery of natural pastures, increased availability of forage and organic fertiliser, protection of regenerated wood and improvement of production parameters (see Table 1).

No information is yet available on the implementation of the other components.

Sheep herds are confined only during prolonged periods of rain or when the staff responsible for guarding the sheep are not available. In these cases, sheep are fed with maize plant residual or other forages. Salt, distributed every 10-15 days, is the only supplement given to the sheep.

Planned

Achieved

Encourage the implementation of a sheep production model, including improved nutrition practices, especially for lambs.

The owners of 2 021 sheep herds were involved in training and demonstration activities in the improvement of nutrition practices.

The production system is based on extensive grazing of Creole sheep, and characterized by a good capacity for adaptation to environmental conditions, especially during the dry season. The productivity of these animals is low, mainly owing to the low levels of nutrition, health and management. The General Directorate for Livestock Services and the National Fund for Agriculture and Livestock Development introduced Corriedale sheep in Creole sheep herds to improve final weight, carcass conformation and wool production

Planned

Achieved

Improve sheep production management by promoting the following activities:

• fattening and sale of unproductive animals (males and females with low fertility);
• regulation of the birth period and improvement of lamb nutrition;
• introduction of lamb fattening practices, to produce animals ready for the market in 8-12 months;
• use of mobile pen/fencing systems to exploit pastures more rationally;
• separation of the various categories of animals in the herd;
• fencing off of pastures;
• castration of males;
• annual shearing to improve wool quality; and
• improved water availability during critical periods.

The project promoted a semi-intensive sheep production system that led to the construction of 272 sheep shelters and 54 new, integrated agriculture/sheep production enterprises. Better shelters maximized the use of organic fertilizer. A rural sheep exhibition was organized for the purpose of promoting sheep production, improving trading channels and carrying out technical demonstrations. The owners of 2 021 sheep herds were involved in training and demonstration activities covering genetic improvement.

The most common health problems relate to internal/external parasite infestation, diarrhoea and malnutrition. In particular:

• internal parasites cause 10% of animal elimination and 9% of mortality;
• external parasites were detected in 30% of herds;
• diarrhoea causes 15% of all yearly lamb deaths; and
• malnutrition is the cause of 10% of all lamb deaths.

Planned

Achieved

Provide training and encourage the adoption of a rigorous health programme, including regular treatment against internal and external parasites.

The owners of 2 021 sheep herds were involved in training and demonstration activities covering prophylactic management.

Production variable

Sheep Producers under PCUCH

PCUCH Target

Difference

Birth rate (%)

86

70

+ 16

Age at first delivery (month)

12

12

0

Birth weight (kg)

2.64

2.73

0.09

Mortality rate (%)

15

25

- 10

Wool production (kg)

0.5

0.5

0

Adult male weight (kg)

45

35

+ 10

Adult female weight (kg)

29

27

+ 2