Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles

PERU

by
Dr. Ral R. Vera
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FAO 2006
 3

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 5
Agriculture 5
Land use 6
The ruminant sector 6
Constraints 6

2. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY 7

3. CLIMATE AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES 8

Andean region 8
Coastal areas 9
Amazon region 9

4. RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS 9

Andean Highlands 9
The Coastal Region farming and livestock systems 10
Amazonian livestock systems 11

5. THE PASTURE RESOURCE 13

6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURE RESOURCES 14

7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONNEL 15

8. REFERENCES 15

9. LIST OF CONTACTS 17
(1) Non-government organizations 17
(2) University research institute 17
(3) Government research institutes 17

10. THE AUTHOR 18

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 5

1. INTRODUCTION

The Republic of Peru (Repblica del Per) is on the Pacific coast of South America (Figure1), along
which it has 2400km of coast. The geographic coordinates of Per are 10000 S, 760 00 W. It has a
surface area of 1285216km2 making it the fourth largest Latin American nation. It is the largest of the
Andean countries and the only one that borders all the others. It borders Colombia and Ecuador in the
north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south.
Its population of 22 767 543 in July 1992 (28 302 603; July 2006 est. according to the World
Factbook) ranks fifth in the subcontinent. As in most other South American countries the population is
largely urban (70.2% urban and 29.8% rural in 1990), and over the period 19851990 grew at a rate of
2.5% per annum, but by 1999 this had dropped to an estimated 1.93% and 1.32% by 2006 according to
the World Factbook. Ethnic groups include: Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white)
37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese and other 3%. The proportion of the population estimated to
be below the poverty line was 54% in 1991.
The country is known as the cradle of the most advanced indigenous civilizations and most powerful
empire in pre-Columbian South America that of the Incas. Peru was also the focus of Spanish colonial
domination for its first two hundred years of rule.

Agriculture
The development of Andean agriculture started about 9 000 years ago, when inhabitants began to
experiment with natural resources. Each ecological niche, or floor, begins about 500 to 1 000 m
vertically above the previous, forming a minutely graduated and specialized environment for life.
The central Andean area is, thus, a very complex biosphere, and an important prehistoric centre of plant
domestication that includes potatoes, maize (Zea mays), lima beans, peppers, yucca or manioc, cotton,
squashes and gourds, pineapples, avocado and coca, as well as many varieties of fruits and other products.
The Spanish introduced wheat, barley, rice, and other grains; vegetables like carrots; sugarcane; tea
and coffee; and fruits, such as grapes, oranges, and olives. Although there is great diversity in native
fauna, the only large domesticated animals are the llamas and alpacas (South American camelids).
The addition of Old World cattle, swine, sheep, goats, fowls, and draught animals increased Andean
resources and altered work methods, diets,
and health.
In Peru, and contrary to what happens
in most other Latin America countries,
agriculture contributed only 7% to the gross
national product (GDP) in 1997, whereas
industry was responsible for 37% and services
for 56%. The most important fact about the
agricultural sector is that its production has
not kept up with population growth. Total
output of agriculture and fishing combined
rose 63% between 1965 and 1988, but output
per capita fell by 11%. From 1948 to 1952,
Peru exported 23% of its agricultural output;
by 1976 the export share was down to 8%.
The trade balance for the agricultural sector
remained consistently positive through the
1970s but then turned into an import surplus
for the 1980s. Contrary to the experience
of many other countries in the region,
productivity for most crops other than rice
showed little or no improvement from 1979
to 1989 but yields began to improve in the
1990s. Figure 1. Peru. Administrative Departments and relief
6 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Land use Table 1. Major geographic regions of Peru

In the heart of the 8 900 km-long Region Area,km2 % Population 1 Persons/km2
Andean range, Perus geography and Coastal area (Costa) 137 216 11 12 180 000 89
climates, although similar to those Andean highlands (Sierra) 392 000 30 6 630 000 17
High jungle (Selva alta) 194 000 15 640 000 3
of its Andean neighbours, form their
Lowland jungle (Selva baja) 562 000 44 1 920 000 3
own peculiar conditions, making TOTAL 1 285 216 21 370 000
the region one of the worlds most 1 As of 1985
heterogeneous and dynamic. Perus (Source: Schaus, 1987)
principal natural features are its
desert coast; the forty great snow-covered peaks above 6000m in altitude, and the mountain ranges they
anchor; Lake Titicaca, which is shared with Bolivia, and at 3809m above sea level the worlds highest
navigable lake; and the vast web of tropical rivers like the Ucayali, Maran, and Huallaga, which join to
form the Amazon above Perus port of Iquitos which provides an exit to the Atlantic ocean via the latter
river. In Peru, the Andes consist of two parallel ranges, the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Oriental.
The combination of high elevations and latitudinal range give rise to several types of specialized alpine
environments.
The Sierra or high Andes is the commanding feature of Perus territory, reaching heights up to
6 768 m The steep, arid Pacific slopes of the Andes support only a sparse population in villages
located at infrequent springs. In contrast, tropical forests cover the eastern side of the Andes as high as
2100m. Between these extremes lie the most populous highland ecological zones: the intermontane
valleys (kichwa) and the higher uplands and grassy puna or Altiplano plateaus. Approximately 36% of
the population lives in thousands of small villages that constitute the rural hinterland for the regional
capitals and trading centres. Over 15% of Peruvians live at altitudes between 2000 and 3000m, 20%
live between 3000 and 4 000m, and 1% regularly reside at altitudes above 4000m.
Peru has several distinct land areas that severely condition the development of agricultural crops and
livestock. The Western coast (Costa) is mountainous and arid to desertic. The Andes mountains in the
centre of the country (Andean highlands or Sierra) are high and rugged. Less than one-fourth of Sierra,
includes cold, high-altitude grasslands (the Puna), a natural pasture. The Puna widens into an extensive
plateau, the Altiplano, adjoining Bolivia in the southern Sierra. The Eastern lowlands consist of semi-
tropical and rugged cloud forests of eastern slopes (Montaa), lying between 800 and 3800m above
sea level and jungle (Selva), which includes high jungle (selva alta), lying between 400 and 800m, and
tropical lowland forest (selva baja) of Amazon Basin, lying between 80 and 400m. The Costa, Sierra,
and Selva form the major terrestrial regions of the country (Table 1).
Each area, however, contains special ecological niches and microclimates generated by ocean
currents, the wide range of Andean altitudes, solar angles and slopes, and the configurations of the vast
Amazonian area. Because of these complexities, a large number of ecological sub regions have been
identified by different authors for different purposes. Over all, land use is as follows: 3% arable, 21%
meadows and pastures, 55% forest and woodland, and 21% other, including 1% irrigated.

The ruminant sector

Tables 2 and 3 summarize the land resources and livestock population of Peru. It is estimated that the
majority of cattle, sheep and camelids are found at altitudes between 2200 and 4500m above sea level
(Flores, 1996). As shown in Tables 3 and 4, the country is a net importer of beef and milk, although the
latter sector in the 1990s grew at a sustained rate of approximately 2.8% per year.

Constraints
Obstacles to increasing agricultural and livestock production include the poor quality of much of the
countrys land and the high degree of dependence on erratic supplies of water, plus the negative effects

Table 2. Land resources of Peru, 1 000 ha

Land area Agricultural Arable Permanent Permanent Arable, % of Agricultural,%
area Land crops pastures agricultural of land area
128 000 31 270 3 670 500 27 100 12 24
(Source: FAO databases 2000)
Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 7

Table 3. Peru statistics for livestock numbers, meat and milk production for the period 19952005
Years 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Stocks / Products
Cattle nos (,000) 4 513 4 646 4 560 4 657 4 903 4 927 4 962 4 990 5 046 5 050 51 00
Sheep nos (,000) 12.6 12.7 13.1 13.6 14.3 14.7 14.3 14.0 14.0 14.1 14.0
Goats nos (,000) 2 044 2 023 2 048 2 019 2 068 2 023 1 998 1 942 1 942 1 950 2 000
Camelids (,000) 3 829 3 787 3 796 3 807 4 147 4 191 4 146 4 325 4 380 4 400 4 500
Beef & veal prod. (Mt ,000) 107.1 110.1 118.2 123.9 133.5 136.2 137.8 141.5 144.9 151.9 152.0
Cow milk fresh (Mt ,000) 857.5 904.9 948.1 998.1 1 013 1 067 1 115 1 194 1 226 1 265 1 290
Mutton & Lamb (Mt ,000) 18.9 20.3 21.5 22.6 29.8 31.0 31.8 31.8 32.3 33.5 33.6
Meat of camelids (Mt ,000) 10.3 9.9 10.2 10.7 11.0 11.5 11.5 12.3 12.2 13.2 13.3
(Source: FAO databases 2006)

Table 4. Peru, Imports and exports of beef and veal, milk, and wool (metric tons)
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Beef and Veal Exports 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4 n.r.
Imports 8 033 9 044 5 975 4 694 3 753 3 820 6 158 5 197 4 192 n.r.
Milk equivalent Exports 1.7 1.9 3.6 3.5 6.8 12.3 25.2 42.3 76.5 n.r.
Imports 387.1 383.3 381.2 353.1 281.3 229.0 221.7 153.6 187.7 n.r.
Wool, greasy Exports 1 091 1 776 963 403 434 239 1 230 4 652 2 756 n.r.
Imports 14 14 0 13 5 1 0 0 25 n.r.
Wool, scoured Exports 0 0 0 0 12 8 0 25 63 n.r.
Imports 79 79 20 39 42 23 33 40 32 n.r.
n.r. no record
Source: FAO databases 2006

of public policies toward agriculture. For example, the per capita agricultural land of Peru is 0.3 ha,
compared to a mean of 0.44ha per capita for the whole of Latin America. As shown in Table 1, 56%
of the population is concentrated in the arid coastal area, which represents 11% of the countrys surface
area. As in many other Latin American countries government policies in the 1980s and 1990s favoured
urban consumers at the expense of rural producers.
Another important set of questions bearing on agricultural productivity concerns the effects of the
Agrarian Reform Law of 1969. The reform itself came long after the beginning of the decline in output
per capita and the consequences for agricultural productivity and growth were still unclear in the mid
90s. In addition some areas were badly hurt in this period by increased social violence and partial
depopulation. The violence worsened from 1988 through 1990, driving people out of farms and whole
villages and leaving productive land and equipment idle. In some of the worst-hit areas, production fell
by half and it has since recovered very slowly.

2. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY

Andean soils are determined by the complex interactions between climate, parent material, topography,
and biology. In general, Andean soils are relatively young and are subject to erosion by water and winds
because of the steep gradients of the land. North of 370 S, the Atacama Desert (in northern Chile), the
region is covered with heavily eroded desertic soils that are low in moisture and organic material and
high in mineral salts. This soil type, with few differences, extends along the Cordillera Occidental to
the north of Peru. From Bolivia to Colombia the soils of the plateau and the east side of the eastern
cordilleras show characteristics closely related to altitude. In the Andean pramo embryonic soils black
with organic material are found.
At altitudes between 6 000 and 12 000 feet, red, brown, and chernozem soils occur on moderate
slopes and on basin floors. In more poorly drained locations, soils with a permeable sandy horizon are
relatively fertile; these soils are the most economically important in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. At high
elevations soils are thin and stony. On the east side of the eastern cordilleras, descending to the Amazon
basin, thin, poorly developed humid soils are subject to considerable erosion. Intrazonal soils (those with
weakly developed horizons) include humic clay and solonetz (dark alkaline soils) types found close to
lakes and lagoons. For information on Peruvian soils refer to Cochrane et al. (1985) and Schaus (1987).
8 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Perus Coast is a bleak, often rocky, and mountainous Table 5. Chemical analysis of a
desert that runs from Chile to Ecuador, punctuated by representative soil in the Experimental
Station Regional del Sur, La Joya, Arequipa
fifty-two small rivers that descend through steep, arid
Chemical parameter 030 cm 3060 cm
mountains into the Pacific. The Costa is characterized pH 6.0 6.4
by dunes and although desertic it has periods of Organic matter,% 1.61 1.62
humidity as high as 90% in the winter from June to P O , ppm 2 5 18 19
September. K O, meq/100 g
2 0.56 0.57
For nearly 500km along the western coast of South Exchange capacity, meq/100 g 16.0 22.1
CaCO , ppm 0.20 0.21
America [530 degrees S], the Peruvian and Atacama 3

Free CaCO ,% 2.9 2.9

deserts form a continuous, hyper arid belt, broken only (Lab Zeta-Vicor, 1996)
3

by occasional river valleys from the Andean Cordillera.

Native vegetation of the deserts consists of over 1 200 species, many highly endemic and largely
restricted to the fog-zone locations or lomas formations(small hills). Soils vary between sandy and
loamy-sandy, with a very loose structure. Soil chemical fertility for a representative soil in the Arequipa
Department is shown in Table 5.

3. CLIMATE AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

The climate varies from dry in the western coastal desert to temperate in highland valleys; harsh, chilly
conditions on puna and western Andean slopes; semi-tropical in Montaa; tropical in Selva. Uninhabited
areas over 5500m. high have arctic climate. The rainy winter season runs from October through April;
with dry summer in the remaining months. Figures 2, 3 and 4 summarize climatic conditions for three
important agricultural areas: Cajamarca, an inter-Andean valley; Puno, in the high Andes and Pucallpa
in the Amazonian lowlands.

Andean region
There are two basic Andean seasons, the rainy
winter from October through April and the dry
summer in the remaining months.
Crops are harvested according to type
throughout the year, with potatoes and other
native tubers brought in during the middle to late
winter and grains in the dry season. In northern
Peru the Andean valleys have milder climates
than those of the southern half of the country. Figure 2. Rainfall distribution in the valley of
In effect, altitudes are less, temperatures are Cajamarca, northern Andes of Peru. Mean
temperature 15.10C; annual rainfall 726mm
milder and rainfall is slightly more than in the
south (Figure 2). At altitudes between 3 400
and 4 200 m, there is a narrow strip of slopes
covered by native grasses and forest relicts
locally called jalcas. These formations and
the valleys between them lend themselves to
more intensive cattle and sheep grazing than in
the southern half of the Peruvian Andes. The
Departments of Cajamarca, Arequipa, Cusco,
Junn and Ancash are important in terms
of dairy, beef and sheep production. The best
example of this situation is the Cajamarca
Department. The upper parts of the Department
Figure 3. Mean monthly temperature and rainfall in
constitute an important water source used for Puno, high Andes of Peru. Mean temperature 9.80C;
irrigation of the bottom valley. annual rainfall 576mm
Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 9

Coastal areas
Temperatures along the coast rise near the
equator in the north, where the summer can be
extremely hot, and fall to cooler levels in the
south. The climate is characterized by the total
absence of rainfall. Mean temperature is 18.1oC,
and a wide range of daily fluctuation between 8
and 30 oC. Solar radiation in the southern half
of the coastal area is permanently high, with
a mean of 8.8 hours, and relatively humidity
varies around a mean of 71%, between 15 and
91%. North to north-eastern winds tend to be Figure 4. Mean monthly temperature and rainfall
at Pucallpa, Amazon lowlands of Peru. Mean
strong and potential annual evapotranspiration temperature 26.1C ; annual rainfall 1568mm
amounts to 1860mm.

Amazon region
The climate is typically that of the humid tropical lowlands, with little day-to-day temperature variation
and two well defined periods, the rainy and the dry season respectively. Depending upon the location,
mean temperature ranges between 25 and 28 oC, rainfall varies between 1500 and 3000 or moremm
per year distributed over a period of 911 months (Fig 4, Pucallpa). Relative humidity is almost always
in the high 80s or more.
Main agricultural activities are logging, and to a much smaller extent, some cropping (rice, maize,
cassava, beans) particularly along the river borders and on river islands that surface during the dry
season. Cattle are of very limited and localized importance. In some areas, cattle populations fell
significantly in the early 90s as result of guerrilla activities. Plantations of tropical fruits and various
other products are developing.

4. RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Andean Highlands
Although rich in mineral resources, the Andes are endowed with limited usable agricultural land. Only
4.5% of the highlands, or 19665km2, is arable and cultivated. Nevertheless, this area constitutes more
than half the nations productive land. About 93120km2 of the Sierra is natural pasture over 4000m. in
altitude, too high for agriculture. The 4.5% of arable land, therefore, has dense populations. The best areas
for cultivation are the valleys, which range from 2000 to 3500m in altitude. Although many valleys have
limited water supplies, others, due to glacial runoff, enjoy abundant water for irrigation. In the protected
valleys, the dry climate is temperate, with no frost or extreme heat. In the high plateau or puna regions
above 3 939 m, the climate is cold and severe, often going below freezing at night and seldom rising
above 160C by day. Llamas and alpacas are pastured on the native grasses of the punas. Sheep and cattle,
when adapted, do well at lesser altitudes but overall, livestock raising is of modest economic importance,
although crucial to the survival of the human population and maintenance of soil fertility.
Throughout the Peruvian Andes, cattle, sheep and camelids raising is extremely important to enhance
farmers income security, as crop production involves high risk in these uncertain and unpredictable
environments (Mosley, 1982). Nevertheless, these livestock systems are inextricably linked to
agricultural and cropping lands in complex spatial and temporal patterns, such that both have to be
considered in the discussion that follows.
Dairy cattle are raised by small farmers on intensively-managed irrigated lucerne (Medicago sativa),
oats, and/or ryegrass-clover (Bernet and Leon Velarde, 2000) grown in the colder valley bottoms.
Modest amounts of concentrates are fed to dairy cattle. In contrast, horticultural and other irrigated crops
are grown on the slopes exposed to milder temperatures. Natural grazing on the upper slopes is used for
extensive beef and sheep breeding.
10 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Table 6. Characteristics and carrying capacity of some major ecosystems of the high Andes
Ecosystem Range of mean Rainfall, Altitude, Livestock species, in Carrying capacity of
temperature, mm m order of decreasing native pastures, ha/AU
o
C importance
Sub-humid Puna 610 520650 3 8004 100 Cattle/sheep 58
Semi-arid to arid Puna 811 350 3 0004 100 Sheep/Camelids/Cattle 721
Semi-arid high Puna 69 50280 4 0005 000 Camelids/Sheep 2041
(Source: Alzrreca, 1985)

Over 70% of privately owned Andean farms are less Table 7. Dry matter yields of well
than five hectares in size. The adequacy of each small managed sown pastures in Puno, Peru
farm and its dispersed chacras (plots of land used for Species Dry matter yield,
tonnes/ha
vegetables and subsistence crops) varies with water Lucerne, Medicago sativa 1113
supply, altitude, soil fertility, and other local factors. The Phalaris sp. + Medicago sativa 1518
best irrigated farmland in the kichwa valleys tends to (Modified from Estrada, Paladines and Quiros, 1997)
be highly subdivided. The largest land holdings are the
Table 8. Effect of altitude on the
property of corporate communities, such as the numerous estimated carrying capacity of sown,
Peasant Communities (Comunidades Campesinas) and irrigated pastures1
Peasant Groups (Grupos Campesinos). In 1991 it was Type of animal Altitude (m)
estimated that 5 500 of these communities existed. In 3 800 4 000 4 200
1990 these official forms of common entitlement, as Sheep 3040 2025 1015
opposed to individual private ownership, accounted for Alpaca 2026 1316 610
Pastures comprised Lolium sp. Trifolium sp., Dactylis
1

over 60% of pasture lands, much of which lies in the glomerata + Trifolium sp. or Dactylis glomerata +
Punas of the southern Andes. Above the cultivated land Medicago sativa. Carrying capacity in sheep units/ha/year
and on the non-irrigated hillsides, cattle and sheep are and alpaca units/ha/year where a sheep unit equals one
(mature) ewe and an alpaca unit is one (mature) alpaca.
grazed on communally held open ranges and puna. At (Adapted from McCorkle, 1990)
the intermediate altitudes grains like wheat, barley, rye,
and maize, as well as pulses, such as broad beans, peas, and lentils, are sown along with a wide variety
of vegetables, including onions, squashes, carrots, hot peppers, and tomatoes. At even lower levels,
tropical fruits and crops are common. Some communities have direct access to all of these production
environments, whereas others may be confined to a single zone, thus adding to the complex pattern of
land use in the region.
Table 6 provides an estimate of some of the characteristics of the main ecosystems of the Andean
region and their carrying capacity. These estimates are derived from Bolivian data (Alzrreca, 1985), a
country which shares historical and geographical traits with Per in the high Andes. Similarly, Table 7
shows the potential yields (Estrada, Paladines and Quiros, 1997) of well-managed and irrigated sown
pastures in Puno, Peru at approximately 3800m, but altitude has a major effect on yields and carrying
capacity, as shown in Table 8. Nevertheless, it should be remembered as indicated above, that ruminants
are moved between rangelands and cropping lands in a variety of patterns depending upon the location,
local customs, and market opportunities.

The Coastal Region farming and livestock systems

Although the region contains 160 500 km2 of land area, only 4%, or 6 900 km2 of it, is arable, and
that part is densely populated and urbanized. By 1990 population growth had increased the density of
habitation to 1715 people for each square kilometre of arable land.
The irrigated coastal valleys are dominated by extensive systems of cooperative plantation agriculture,
interspersed with numerous small farms and dairies. Irrigated land is estimated to cover 12 800 km2
(1993 est.), the large majority of it being located in the Coastal region. The principal crops are sugarcane
and cotton, with a mixture of other crops, such as grapes and citrus, also being planted. The use of guano
and fish-meal fertilizers is common. As a result, the productive coastal land, amounting to only 3.8% of
the national total, including pasture and forest, yields a reported 50% of the gross agricultural product.
This is the region where the cattle industry, and dairy production in particular, is most important. By
1999, Perus production of cow milk amounted to 1013263metric tonnes (MINAG-DIA, 1999), with 50%
of that coming from the Departments of Arequipa, Cajamarca and Lima (see Figure1). In some districts
within these departments, close to two thirds of the land area and of the farm families are dedicated to milk
Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 11

production (Bernal, 1993). Although Perus milk consumption Table 9. Land tenure in the Department
is low by South American standards (65 kg of fresh milk of Arequipa
equivalent per capita per year; McBride cited by Bernet et al., Size Farmers Surface area
No. % Ha %
2000), throughout the 90s there has been a consistent trend to
< 3 ha 27 576 62.3 29 829 1.5
increase consumption of milk and dairy products. Close to 80% 3-9.9 ha 11 098 25.0 58 008 2.8
of the cattle are Holstein Friesian, much of them imported in 10-49.9 ha 2 764 6.2 49 545 2.4
the 80s and 90s from USA, New Zealand, Canada and Germany > 50 ha 2 878 6.5 1 903 710 93.3
among others, and with a mean yield of 14.5litres/milked cow Total 44 316 2 041 092
or 11.1 litres/cow (Bernal 1993). Overall, 97% of the dairy (INEI, 1994)

cattle are Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss (INEI, 1994). By Table 10. Experimental monthly yields
2005 total cow milk production had risen to 1290000metric of irrigated, well-managed lucerne, cv.
tonnes, but milk equivalent imports were still substantial (at Moapa, in the Department of Arequipa,
187 685 tonnes in 2004) although at much lower levels than means of two years
Month Tonnes DM per ha and per month
earlier in 1995 (when imports were 361728 tonnes). Jan 3.7
The Arequipa Department is the most important milk Feb 3.5
March 2.9
producer, and is generally considered as representative of the Apr 2.5
rest. 62% of the farmers own less than 3ha, representing only May 2.2
June 2.1
1.5% of the agricultural land (Table 9). On average, 44% of July 1.9
the livestock owned by farmers are cattle, 29.9% are pigs and Aug 2.0
Sept 2.2
27% are sheep. As a result of land tenure patterns, 25% of the Oct 2.6
farmers own 3 head of cattle or less, and 50% of them operate Nov 3.2
Dec 3.7
with 39 head.
Regardless of farm size, irrigated, directly-grazed lucerne (Medicago sativa) constitutes 75% of the
forage (Bernal, 1993), with the rest being maize (24%) and sorghum (1%). Characteristic stocking rates
on well-managed, well-irrigated lucerne average 4AU/ha year round. Overall, it has been estimated that
there are 120000ha of lucerne in Peru, with the following distribution among Departments: Arequipa,
35000; Lima, 20000; Ancash and Ayacucho, 15000 and Tacna, 10000 (Valdivia, 1996). Local varieties
(Yaragua, Tambo, Caraveli) are common and tend to slightly outyield imported varieties such as Moapa,
California, and Cuff (Valdivia, 1996). High dry matter yields in well managed, irrigated experiments
have frequently been obtained (e.g., 5060tonnesDM/ha/year), but it is uncertain to what extent they
represent farm results. Illustrative results for cv. Moapa in Arequipa are shown in Table 10. As the
results indicate, year-round, lucerne-based milk production is feasible despite the drop in growth rate
which occurs during the (southern) winter. As is typical of lucerne everywhere, nutritive value is high
year-round. Local results show in vitro digestibility values of 6876% and crude protein of 2327%
(Valdivia, 1996).
Intensive strip grazing is generally practiced with the aid of movable, electric fences. All animal
categories, not only milked cows, are subject to this type of management. The possibility of sequential
grazing by different animal categories, and/or differential management and feeding strategies for
categories of lesser value have apparently not yet been researched.
Forage maize (Zea mays) is the second most important irrigated forage resource in the coastal area
of Peru. Local hybrids have been reported to yield 1824 tonnes DM/ha depending upon the precise
location (Ponce, 1996), but the limited on-farm information available suggests that to a large extent, the
provision of maize by-products and residues constitute the main form of use of this resource. In effect,
Hidalgo (1998) estimated that crop residues constitute 1020% of the concentrate ration offered to cows,
with the rest being crop by-products and a smaller proportion of fish meal.
The other major cattle system in parts of the Coastal area is beef fattening in peri-urban feedlots,
using mostly crop residues and by-products. Yearlings and young steers are brought in from the Sierra.

Amazonian livestock systems

The Selva, which includes the humid tropics of the Amazon forest and rivers, covers about 63% of Peru
but contains only about 11% of the population. The region begins high in the eastern Andean cloud
forests, called the ceja de montaa (eyebrow of the jungle), or Montna or Selva Alta, and descends
with important Amazonian rivers such as the Maraon, Huallaga, Apurmac, and Urubamba to the
12 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

rolling plains of the densely forested humid lowlands. These rivers unite to give rise to the Amazon
before reaching the city of Iquitos. Human settlements in the Amazonian region are mostly riverine,
since the number of all-weather roads is limited.
As indicated by the type of predominant vegetation, farming systems are dominated by logging
activities. Cultivation of coca, a chemical input-intensive type of crop that seriously deteriorates the
surrounding environment, is a component of farming systems in isolated regions. These activities
co-exist within farms, with cropping patterns known as slash-and-burn agriculture. The slash-and-burn
agricultural system predominates in lowland semi-humid areas of the Amazon with altitude < 500 m.
above sea level and annual precipitation of around 2 000 mm (Riesco, 1995). Residual forests (from
which the most valuable timber has been removed by loggers) are progressively cut down and cultivated
with annual and semi-perennial crops for one or two years. Crop fields are then either planted to pasture
(more recently, perennial crops have become available) or alternatively, secondary vegetation is allowed
to regenerate on fields to restore fertility and control weeds (fertilizer is usually not used).
Other disturbing, more localized, components of land use systems in the region are the exploitation of
oil and gas resources, gold mining and occasionally other activities. In this context, ruminant raising and
grasslands are of relatively minor importance and tend to be highly concentrated along the few all-weather
roads leading to the capital city, Lima. Also, ruminant, largely cattle, populations were decimated during
the period of social unrest associated with the Shining Pathway (Sendero Luminoso) guerrilla movement
of the 80s and early 90s and have been very slow to rebuild. The small, unquantified, cattle population
of the region tends to be concentrated in dual-purpose production systems. These systems (Vera et al.,
1997) use crossbred cows (Bos indicus x Bos taurus) mated to crossbred bulls and sometimes nearly pure
Brown Swiss bulls, to produce milk and calves. This is a low input, low management, low risk pasture-
based system in which cows are milked once a day, generally in the morning, with the calf on foot to
induce milk let-down. After the morning milking, the dam and the calf are released onto pasture until
mid-afternoon when all calves are rounded and shut into primitive yards until the following morning.
Given the vagaries of the climate in the region, and the unreliability of many of the roads, milking can
easily be discontinued for a period of several days if it becomes impossible to transport milk to local
markets. Yields of saleable milk typically run between 3 and 5kg milk/day/cow (once-a-day milking),
over extended periods of lactation which may vary anywhere between 200 and nearly 500 days. Male
calves are sold at weaning with very variable weaning weights (150200 kg liveweight), and are
generally transported to the coastal areas of the country for fattening.
Pastures are established within the slash-and-burn system, usually after an annual crop such as maize
or rice, and sometimes undersown in these crops (Retegui et al., 1995). In general, soil preparation is
mostly manual and minimal, very seldom mechanical, and no fertilizers are applied. Except in estuarine
areas, Amazonian soils tend to be ultisols, characterized by low chemical fertility. On-farm analysis
of soils in the neighbourhood of Pucallpa (Department of Ucayali) showed that ultisols have low pH
(generally < 4.5), high Al content (> 40%, and frequently > 70%), and low levels of P (7ppm) and bases
((Loker et al., 1997). Pasture maintenance is limited to periodic hand weeding until, after 48 years,
secondary vegetation takes over and the area may be temporarily abandoned until a new slash-and-burn
period is established. The exception is along paved roads, near towns or other places where land prices
are substantially higher, and in which efforts are made to maintain more productive and persistent
pastures.
Regardless of location, sown pastures based on Brachiaria decumbens and, to a lesser extent,
Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiari humidicola or Brachiaria dictyoneura which have almost totally
replaced, in the 90s, the original pastures sown to Hyparrhenia rufa, Panicum maximum and a few others
which were common in the 70s and 80s. Typical on-farm carrying capacity of Brachiaria-based pastures
averages 11.5AU/ha during the initial 23 years, and may decline to 0.5 or less AU/ha following
pasture deterioration. Choice of pasture species is severely constrained by seed supply and inherent
limitations of the available species and cultivars in terms of soil and biotic adaptation. Peru does not have
a significant forage seed industry, and local markets tend to be supplied by Brazilian sources.
Despite many years of research by Peruvian (INIA, IVITA) and international institutions (e.g. the
tropical soils project of North Carolina State University, CIAT, ICRAF) adoption of forage legumes
has been minimal to date. The two most promising legumes at present are Stylosanthes guianensis
Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 13

cv Pucallpa, and Arachis pintoi. The former is a short-lived (35 years), initially highly productive
upright growing forage which has also been successfully used to reclaim abandoned and degraded lands,
whereas the latter is a longer-lived creeping and competitive species. Experimental and on-farm results
(Vera et al., 1997) have shown that they can support modest improvements in milk production (on
average 1015%) and calf weight gains (2030% depending on management).
Other systems, such as sylvopastoral systems combining forage species undersown to a range of tree
and fruit trees are still experimental, but in general there are severe economic, ecological and societal
constraints to the expansion of cattle systems in the Peruvian Amazon (Holmann, 1999).

5. THE PASTURE RESOURCE

As explained above, pastures and rangelands predominate only in the Andean region.
Peruvian Andean rangelands cover approximately 143 000 km2, or 32% of the highlands (Flores,
1996), including 120 000 km2 of communal grazing, with the remaining in the hands of small and
medium farmers. The Peruvian classification of Andean grasslands is similar to that of Bolivia and
recognizes the following plant communities, in decreasing order of importance by area (Flores, 1991,
1996):
a. Pajonales: it is the community that occupies the largest area; it is characterized by dense stands of
low quality, low to moderate palatability grasses, which receive different local names. Important
genera are Festuca, Calamagrostis and Stipa, and the most common species are Festuca dolicho-
phylla, Festuca ortophylla, Stipa ichu, Stipa plumosa, Calamagrostis intermedia, Calamagrostis
antoniana and Calamagrostis rigida.
b. Csped de Puna (puna turf), a type of vegetation somewhat similar to that of the arctic tundra,
but less abundant in lichens and mosses. The following genera are of variable relative importance
depending upon the precise location: Aciachne, Azorella, Liabum, Nototriche, Opuntia, Perezia,
Pycnophyllum and Werneria.
c. Bofedales (partially equivalent to wetlands): found in permanent or seasonally wet areas, they
constitute a valued resource for the dry season. Dominant species include Distichia muscoides,
Plantago rigida, Oxychle sp. , Calamagrostis. ovata, C. eminens and C.rigesens, accompanied
by many other secondary species.
d. Tolares (shrub-lands): plant communities of arid to semiarid areas, dominated by shrubs of
low palatability of 60 to 70 cm height. The main two species are Parastrefia lepidophylla and
Diplostephium tacurense. Underneath them and of secondary importance there is a stand com-
posed of species such as Baccharis sp., Pycnophyllum sp. and Margaricarpus sp. with grasses as
Festuca dolichophylla and F. orthophylla .
e. Canllares: a semiarid plant community totally dominated by spiny Rosaceae such as Margyricarpus
pinnatus and M. estrictus
f. Totorales and Juncales: plant communities found along the borders of lakes, dominated by
Scirpus californicus and Scirpus mexicanus. These species are more important as thatching materi-
als than as forages.
Dry matter yield of some of these communities can be relatively high. An example for two of the
above grassland types is shown in Table 11. Nevertheless, Flores (1996) estimates that at least 60% of
the rangelands are degraded due to mismanagement and overstocking, to such a degree that actual yields
may be far below those listed in Table 11.
The management practices of these communities are spatially and temporally complex and have
evolved over centuries of experience
accumulated by indigenous Table 11. Seasonal dry matter yields (kg DM/ha) of two
populations. Nevertheless, the main important plant communities of the high Andes in Peru
factor determining the extent and Grassland
type
Nov-Dec March April-May Sept-October
Vegetative growth Flowering Maturation Dormant
intensity of utilization of these Pajonal 1 984 5 330 3 087 1 435
various plant communities is the Bofedal 933 860 787 566
availability of water, especially in Source: Farfn et al., cited by Flores (1991).
14 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

the case of sheep and cattle. This aspect then determines how far and how long can cattle and sheep be
grazed. Camelids, on the other hand, have lower water requirements and are generally better adapted to
the existing nutritional and environmental constraints. Lastly, livestock production systems are related to
land tenure system and elevation. The following three systems are recognized (Flores, 1996):
c. Enterprise community system: generally found above 3 800 m. Generally, sheep, cattle and
camelids are raised in decreasing order of importance. Sheep includes Criollo but increasingly,
Corriedale, Junin and Merino. Cattle raising is based on Brown Swiss and Simmenthal, as well as
crosses with Criollo. Among the camelids, white Alpaca of the Huacaya or Suri breeds are com-
monest. In general, the system is more market-oriented than the rest, and more inclined to incor-
porate new technologies.
b. Non-enterprise communal system: it is constituted by individual families or groups of families
that own rangelands which may be intermingled with communal grazing lands used by system
(a), and tend to be extensive. Herds are typically composed of mixtures of sheep, cattle, camelids
and horses in variable proportions. In the central highlands sheep, cattle and horses predominate,
whereas camelids are the main animals in the south. The system uses family labour almost exclu-
sively; women and children are the bulk of the labour force. In general, training and organization
is low, as is productivity.
c. Non-communal family system: systems based on individual ownership of very small pieces of
land or minifundia, heavily subsistence-oriented. If crops are feasible, livestock feeding is based
on crop residues and grazing on communal pasture. As in the previous case, it uses family labour
exclusively.
Many grazing management practices (reviewed by Flores, 1991) have been tried, but they are difficult
to implement in view of the complex pattern of land tenure among native and peasant communities
briefly described above, with the exception of the market-oriented enterprise community system.
As expected, performance of cattle, sheep and camelids can be substantially improved with the
introduction of sown species. Dactylis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Medicago sativa and
Trifolium spp. have shown good adaptation up to about 4200 meters above sea level, when soil conditions
are appropriate, but as before, these practices may be difficult to implement in communal areas.

6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURE

RESOURCES

Perus land resources and its rangelands in particular, face major problems, difficult to solve in view of
population pressure on limited agricultural land. The major issues are deforestation along the Andean
slopes and consequent erosion, overgrazing of some of slopes on the Costa and Sierra, and significant
overall desertification expressed in erosion, loss of biodiversity and decreased agricultural potential.
There has been a long standing discussion on how to reclaim degraded grazing land in the high Andes.
In recent years, attention has been focused on the close interaction between the high Andes and the lower
altitude areas near them, in terms of population and livestock density, and migration. For example, cattle
systems based on irrigated forages in the Coastal areas and the Andean Valleys can be significantly
improved (Bernet and Len- Velarde, 2000) through improved animal and pasture management, forage
conservation and in general, better quality management of the enterprise. If these improvements can
be achieved, they may reduce the pressure on the more fragile resources of the Andean slopes. Given
the large number of very small farms this is not a slight challenge. Nevertheless, the experience of
some NGOs has shown that native pastures in the high Andes can be successfully reclaimed through a
combination of technical solutions, including water and pasture management, and capacity building in
terms of training and social organization (DESCO, 1999).
Although a common concern in the popular press, deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon due to
logging and ranching pales in significance when compared to the ecological constraints of the Andes.
Many experts suggest that sylvopastoral and agrosylvopastoral systems constitute an alternative
Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 15

approach to extensive cattle raising in the humid lowlands. A number of these systems including both
leguminous and non-leguminous trees are currently being researched but the potential adoption of these
knowledge-intensive systems is still arguable. Nevertheless, the spatial and temporal combination of
plantations, crops, forages and livestock in the Peruvian Amazon appears to deserve priority since the
region constitutes the major land reserve of the country (see Table 1) and it may experience considerable
pressure from migration originating in the Andes.
Lastly, areas sown to irrigated forages along the Coastal region of Peru have problems of water
management, drainage and salinity similar to those of other irrigated regions in the world.

7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND

PERSONNEL

Perus institutions experienced major difficulties during the 90s due to economic and social constraints.
Also, and in parallel to trends observed in neighbouring countries, efforts were made to reduce the size
of the public sector and to privatise some of its services. These processes severely affected the national
agricultural institute of agricultural research, INIA, which experienced loss of staff and transfer of some
of its facilities to other institutions. Nevertheless, INIA continues to be the main government body
charged with national-level research responsibilities.
A number of government-financed universities carry out agricultural research, occasionally through
specialized institutes such as the Institute of Veterinarian Research for the Andes and Tropical Lowlands,
IVITA, which holds a long and distinguished tradition of research in those two ecosystems. Numerous
non government organizations are also active in agricultural research and development. Two well known
NGOs are listed below.

8. REFERENCES
Alzrreca, H. (1985). Campos naturales de pastoreo en Bolivia. In Mesa Redonda sobre la Promocin del
Manejo de las Praderas Nativas de SudAmrica, O. Paladines, ed.. Santiago, Chile.
Bernal, J. L. (1993). Caracterizacin de la ganadera lechera del sur. I. Arequipa (Irrigaciones El Cural,
La Joya, San Isidro, San Camilo, Yuramayo, Santa Rita, y Majes). Tesis Ing. Zootecnista, Lima Per.
Universidad Agraria La Molina, 99 p..
Bernet, A.T. and Len-Velarde, C. (2000).Income effects of fodder and herd management on small-scale milk
producers in the northern Peruvian. Livestock Research for Rural Development 12 (3) http://www.cipav.
org.co
Bernet,A.T., Julca, J., Senz, J. and Prain, G. (2000). Peri-urban milk production in Peru: Assessing farmers
decision-making within a changing market. Livestock Research for Rural Development (12) 4, 2000 http://
www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd12/4/bern124.htm
Cochrane, T.T., L. G. Snchez, L.G. de Azevedo, J. A. Porras and C. L. Garver. (1985). Land in Tropical
America. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia; Empresa Brasileira de
Pesquisa Agropecuaria, Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuaria dos Cerrados (EMBRAPA-CPAC), Planaltina,
D.F., Brasil, 5 volumes
DESCO. (1999). Manejo de los recursos naturales en condiciones de puna seca para la crianza de camlidos
andinos. Electronic conferece of FIDAMERICA on desertification..
Estrada, R.D., O. Paladines and R. Quiros.(1997). Pobreza y degradacin de suelos en los Andes altos. La
experiencia de CONDESAN. VII Encuentro Internacional de RIMISP. Impacto ambiental de la pobreza
rural, impacto social del deterioro ambiental. El rol de los instrumentos de desarrollo agrcola. http://www.
rimisp.cl/getdoc.php?docid=167 (downloaded April 1998)
FAO Databases 2000 (website http://apps.fao.org/)
16 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

FAO Databases 2006 (website http://faostat.fao.org/)

Flores, E. R. (1991). Manejo y utilizacin de pastizales. In Avances y Perspectivas del Conocimiento de los
Camelidos Sud Americanos, S. Fernndez-Baca, ed. Santiago, Chile: FAO, pp. 191-212.
Flores, E. R. (1996). Reality, limitations and research needs of the Peruvian livestock sector. In Latin America
Livestock Regional Assessment Workshop, San Jos, Costa Rica. SR-CRSP and IICA. Davis: Small
Ruminant CRSP.
Hidalgo, V. (1998).Nutricin y alimentacin de vacunos en engorde. Universidad Agraria La Molina, Facultad
de Zootecnia, Departamento de Nutricin, Lima, Peru, 117 p.
Holmann, F. (1999). Anlisis ex-ante de nuevas alternativas forrajeras en fincas con ganado en sistemas de
doble propsito en Per, Costa Rica y Nicaragua. Pasturas Tropicales 21(2), 2-17.
INEI. (1994). Perfil agropecuario del Departamento de Arequipa. Departamento de Estadstica, III Censo
Nacional Agropecuario, Lima, Per, 375 p..
INEI. (1996). Perfil agropecuario del Departamento de Arequipa. Departamento de Estadstica, III Censo
Nacional Agropecuario, Lima, Per, 375 p..
Loker, W., R. Vera and K. Reategui. (1997). Pasture performance and sustainability in the Peruvian Amazon:
results of long-term on-farm research. Agricultural Systems 55 (3): 385-408..
McCorkle, C.M., ed. (1990). Improving Andean sheep and alpaca production. University of Missouri: Small
Ruminant Collaborative Research Support Program.
MINAG-DIA (1999).Ministerio de Agricultura, Oficina de Informacin Agraria.
Mosley P. (1982). Marketing systems and income distributions: the case of milk producers in highland Peru.
Food Research Institute Studies Vol. XVIII, No.3. 275291.
Ponce, J. (1996). Comparativo de rendimiento de siete variedades de hbridos de maz para produccin de
forrajes en condiciones de Santa Rita y San Isidro, Arequipa. Tesis Ing. Agrnomo, Facultad de Ciencias e
Ingenieras Biolgicas y Qumicas. Universidad Catlica Santa Maria, Arequipa, Peru, 86 p.
Retegui, K., R. R. Vera, W. L. Loker and M. Vsquez. (1995). On-farm grass-legume pasture performance
in the Peruvian rainforest. Experimental Agriculture 31(2):227-239.
Riesco, A. (1995). Conservacion del bosque Amazonico, una estrategia comun sobre la base de la
estabilizacion de la agricultura migratoria y el manejo sostenible del bosque: Proyecto Bosque.
PROCITROPICOS, Pucallpa, Peru.
Schaus, R. (1987). El rol de la investigacin en pasturas en la amazonia peruana. In La Investigacin en
Pastos dentro del Contexto Cientfico y Socioeconmico de los Pases, R. R. Vera y C. Ser, eds., p. 463-
500. David, Panam: RIEPT.
Valdivia, P. R. (1996). Comparativo de 25 variedades e hbridos de lucerne en produccin de forraje verde
y materia seca en seis cortes, bajo condiciones de San Isidro-La Joya. Tesis Ing. Agrnomo, Facultad de
Ciencias e Ingenierias Biolgicas y Qumicas. Universidad Catlica Santa Mara, Peru, 154 p.
Vera, R. R., K. Reategui and W. M. Loker. (1997). Milk and pastures in the frontier: the case of the Peruvian
forest margins. Experimental Agriculture 33 (3): 265-274.
Other references
Aramburu, C.E. (1985). Expansion of the Agrarian and Demographic Frontier in the Peruvian Selva. Pages
153-79 in Marianne Schmink and Charles H. Wood (eds.), Frontier Expansion in Amazonia. Gainesville:
University of Florida Press,.
Burkholder, M.A., and L.L. Johnson. (1990) Colonial Latin America. New York: Oxford University Press.
Economic Intelligence Unit. (1992). Country Report: Peru, Bolivia [London], No. 1, 1992.
Economic Intelligence Unit. (1992). Country Report: Peru, Bolivia [London], No. 2, 1992.
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. (1990). Preliminary Overview of the Economy
of Latin America and the Caribbean, 1990. Santiago: December 1990.
Morales, Edmundo. (1986). Coca and Cocaine Economy and Social Change in the Andes of Peru,
Economic Development and Cultural Change, 35:143-61.
Peru. Instituto Nacional Estadstica. (1981). Censos nacionales de VII de poblacin, 1981. Lima:.
Peru. Instituto Nacional Estadstica. (1987). Peru: Compendio estadstico. Lima:.
Peru. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologa (National Council ofScience and Technology). (1991). Gran
atlas geogrfico del Per y el mundo. (Ed. Anbal Cueva Garca.) Lima: A.F.A. Editores S.A.,.
Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadstica. (1989). Evolucin de la economa peruana. Lima: November.
Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile 17

Peru. Ministerio de Agricultura, Grupo de Anlisis de Poltica Agraria. (1990). Lineamientos de poltica
agraria, 1990-1995. Lima.
Poole, D.A. 1987 Landscapes of Power in a Cattle-Rustling Culture of Southern Andean Peru, Dialectical
Anthropology, 12: 367-98.
Schmink, Marianne, and Charles H. Wood (eds.). 1985 Frontier Expansion in Amazonia. Gainesville:
University of Florida Press.

9. LIST OF CONTACTS

(1) Non-government organizations

Centro de Estudios y de Desarrollo Agrario del Per (a traditional, highly experienced NGO dedicated
to development projects among small farmers)
Diego Ferr 387, Of. D
Miraflores
Lima 18
PERU
Phone/fax (51-14) 446150
Benjamn Quijandra, Ph.D., Director (agronomist, with a wide range of experience)
CODESU (NGO that administers a variety of research and development projects)
Ramn Dagnino 369, Of. 204
Lima 18
PERU
Alfredo Riesco, Ph.D., Director
(animal scientist and agricultural economist, ample experience in the sector)

(2) University research institute

IVITA (Instituto de Investigaciones Veterinarias Tropicales y de Altura) (a research institute with long
tradition in livestock research in the high Andes and the Amazonian lowlands)
Jirn Daniel A. Carrin 319, Apdo. 245
Pucallpa
PERU
Phone/fax (51-64) 571092
Miguel Ara, Ph.D.
(soil scientist, experienced with tropical pastures)

(3) Government research institutes

INIA, Instituto National de Investigacin Agraria
Headquarters:
DR. MANUEL ARCA BIELICK J
Jefe del INIA (e)
Sede Central
Lima Av. La Universidad 685 - La Molina
Phones: (51-1)349-5616 349-5949
Fax: (0051-1) 3495964
dgia@fenix.inia.gob.pe
High Andes experiment station
ING. SATURNINO MARCA VILCA
Director de Estacin Experimental ILLPA PUNO
Carretera Puno-Juliacakm. 22 - Puno
Of. Jr. Loreto No. 257 - Juliaca
18 Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Telefax: 054-325663
illpa@fenix.inia.gob.pe
Camelids research leader:
Med. Vet. Teodosio Huanca Mamani
illpa@terra.com.pe
Irrigated lucerne research:
Ing. MSc Gregorio Argote Quispe
Estacin Experimental Baos del Inca
iniacaj@telematic.com.pe

10. THE AUTHOR

Dr. Raul R. Vera is a former Senior Scientist and Leader of the Tropical Pastures Program,
International Centre of Tropical Agriculture, CIAT, based in Cali, Colombia. He is currently a private
consultant and part-time researcher of the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile.

Raul R. Vera
2 Norte 443 dpto. 52
Via del Mar, CHILE 2534194
Fax (Chile) 56-2-552 9435
E-mail: raulvera@terra.cl

[The profile was prepared in 2000, edited by J.M. Suttie and S.G. Reynolds in January, 2001 and
modified by S.G. Reynolds in May 2006.]