Journal of Undergraduate Research
Volume 2, Issue 10 - July 2001

Intensification of Cattle Ranching in the Lower Amazon

Gretchen Skedsvold

INTRODUCTION

Cattle raising in the Amazon is controversial as it is blamed for contributing to global warming, deforestation, and desertification. Intensification of cattle operations may help lessen environmental stresses and slow forest loss. Some Amazonian ranches are intensifying their operations, however this is occurring mostly in upland areas. Although not as advanced as on uplands and not extensively studied, intensification is also occurring on floodplain ranches. One of the major cattle producing areas on floodplains is Marajó Island, located at the mouth of the Amazon River. The intensification of cattle ranching on Marajó Island has been a slow process, hindered by traditional methods of free-grazing, climate, and the lack of reliable, educated workers capable of carefully managing cattle and applying methods of intensification such as fencing, pasture rotation, and selective breeding. Intensification on floodplains such as Marajó Island is of particular concern since much deforestation in wetlands affects fish through the loss of food sources such as fruits dropped into the water by riverside forest. Intensification may prevent loss of this streamside forest and, in addition to preserving numerous Amazonian fishes important for subsistence and commerce, will have countless other environmental benefits.

Photo 1. Cattle ranching on the Amazon.

STUDY SITES AND METHODOLOGY

Four ranches were studied on Marajó, a Switzerland sized island at the mouth of the Amazon. The owner of these ranches, Sue Ann de Miranda Tibery, inherited this land from her family and now manages almost 50,000 hectares with the help of her younger son. Three of these four ranches, Severino, Tuyúyú, and Santa Bárbara, are adjacent to one another and are situated around a portion of Lake Ararí, near the center of Marajó. São Vicente is separate and located somewhat south of the other three ranches.

Half of Marajó is forested and the remaining half is mostly grassland. Forested area borders rivers and also occurs in sporadic patches or ilha de mato (forest island). No deforestation has occurred in Sue Ann's operation as an abundance of grassland exists and areas of forest are a small percentage of the total amount of land. Forested areas here have been preserved as they provide shelter for not only such wildlife as iguanas, parrots, macaws, small cats, and capybara, but for her cattle during stormy weather and extreme heat.

Annual floods, lasting about six months, occur during the rainy season on Marajó. This flooding is essential to keeping the land fertile and weeds minimal, yet it creates a major reduction of available pasture and therefore reduces feed available for cattle, in addition to preventing extensive fencing. Flooding also creates a major barrier to transportation. During the rainy season a trip between two of the ranches, Severino and São Vicente, takes four hours by boat. During the dry season the same trip can be taken via truck or motorcycle, reducing travel time by half. These obstacles to transportation in turn become obstacles to intensification, creating difficulty in receiving necessary supplies and labor as well as causing difficulty in communication between ranches.

Photo 2. Cattle ranching on the Amazon.

Intensification efforts on these ranches were studied by applying a questionnaire and following the operator of these ranches on daily chores and management duties. Notes were compiled concerning the management, occurrences, and various statistics, then compared and evaluated using the set criteria for intensification.

Traditional Methods of Cattle Ranching

In the past, the most widely accepted form of ranching was that of free grazing, or letting cattle roam widely without the boundary of fences and minimal management of cattle herds. Management of herds proved difficult due to flooding, isolation, and the vast size of these ranches. Cattle were of no particular breed, merely small and sturdy&emdash;those able to survive with minimal care.

However as years have passed, a more competitive market for livestock, greater demand for high-quality cattle as well as advances in technology, and more importantly, a heightened level of environmental awareness have brought about the need for intensification in Amazonian ranching operations.

Intensification Indicators

Major indicators of intensification are pasture management, genetic improvement of livestock, and veterinary care. Pasture management involves planting new species or varieties of grasses, fertilizing, weeding, and pasture rotation. Pasture replacement with hardier, disease and pest resistant grasses or grasses richer in nutrients is an example of upgrading pastures. The prevention of overgrazing is another example of effective pasture management. Overgrazing may be avoided through pasture rotation, in which animals graze only a portion of the available pasture at one time, allowing the remaining land to recuperate--letting grasses grow back and strengthen so as not to be taken over by noxious weeds.

Another intensification indicator is veterinary care. Management of the animals' health can be achieved through administering mineral supplements, vaccines, wormers, and other medicines to better the condition of livestock.

Photo 3. Tending to the herd.

Genetic improvement can be achieved through both crossbreeding and breeding purebred livestock, depending on what traits for which the rancher is looking. Common breeds of cattle in the Amazon include Nelore, Gir, and Zebu. These breeds, native to Asia, are well suited to humid tropical environments. Purebred livestock are generally more valuable and make good breeding stock, however crossbred livestock tend to be hardier and often times better for slaughter. When dealing with purebred livestock, AI (artificial insemination) and buying registered animals are the most effective ways to create a strong, valuable herd.

RECENT INTENSIFICATION

On the studied ranches, methods of pasture maintenance and improvement, health management of livestock, and genetic improvement are all employed in some form.

Flooding serves as a form of fertilization and a good method of weed control in many places; weeds not killed by flooding are removed manually if they pose a serious problem. Weeds are cut down with a tractor and blade attachment. Weed removal is not achieved through the use of burning, a popular method in Amazonian ranches.

Since the floods may inundate up to 80 percent of the property at one time (such is the case at São Vicente), planting the pasture to other non-native grasses is illogical. Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) or colonião is the only non-native grass planted. At São Vicente the African grass is grown in small fields near the ranch buildings and is chopped, then used to feed the purebred bulls, stallions and brood mares.

Fencing is minimal on these ranches, as they are destroyed or at least heavily damaged by flooding. Fences are only used where necessary; to serve as a border between neighboring ranches, enclose valuable animals or those animals needing close observation or care. Most fences are located at São Vicente. At Santa Bárbara the installation of a solar-powered electric fence is planned.

Photo 4. Fencing used on a typical ranch.

Pasture rotation, another form of pasture management, can alleviate grazing pressure on grassland. In this operation the only form of pasture rotation, or a likeness to it, is the relocation of steers to Santa Bárbara. This method of management has multiple benefits&endash;it allows for more female cattle to remain on other ranches since the added grazing pressure of steers is removed; it localizes all steers in one place so they can be better cared for, fattened, given vitamins, and vaccinated, and it provides one place where steers can be picked up when sold.

Health management of the herd is another major undertaking and a prime example of further intensification. Every September and November, during the dry season, cattle are gathered and branded, vaccinated against Botchullism and aftose, castrated, given wormer and vitamins A, D, and E, and then recorded. A major health problem, foot and mouth disease or aftose, is a concern in Brazilian cattle. To combat aftose, vaccine is given to cattle at São Vicente twice yearly, and once to steers going to sale in November. This vaccine is highly important since the major factor that prevents sale of Brazilian cattle internationally is the presence of foot and mouth disease in its herds. All cattle would be vaccinated twice yearly, however refrigeration of the vaccine is necessary and a lack of electricity and/or refrigeration makes this difficult.

The loss of livestock due to predators and thievery is another concern that relates to intensification. Predatory cats, vampire bats, and vultures can be a threat to weak and young animals. However, the number of livestock lost due to these predators is small compared to the number of animals taken by thieves. Cattle thieves are brutal and wasteful; they kill animals on-site, often with the use of crude machetes, then take only portions of the carcass and leave the rest.

Thievery is such a serious problem that ranchers hire armed security guards to intimidate cattle rustlers.

Photo 5. Armed security guards are used to intimidate cattle rustlers.

The final aspect of intensification to be analyzed, genetic improvement, is a major undertaking in the studied ranches. The largest and best-equipped ranch, São Vicente serves as a center for breeding animals used in the rest of the operation's ranches. Purebred Nelore are used to strengthen the genetic strain of the herds at Severino, Tuyúyú, and Santa Bárbara. The animals at the other three ranches outside of São Vicente closely resemble purebred Nelore cattle, however these animals are descendants of longhorn creole cattle that were formerly raised. In order to improve the quality of cattle and the value of these ranches, purebred Nelore cows were bought from Rio de Janeiro, corrals were built for taking care of cattle, and a few fences were constructed, initiating intensification of the ranches. Since then Gir and Zebu cattle have been bred with Nelore, experimentation with artificial insemination has occurred, and purebred bulls are bought from Southern Brazil (Minas Gerais, São Paulo) in order to maintain a strong herd. These Nelore bulls are bred with purebred cows at São Vicente, then the male offspring are used as bulls at the remaining three ranches.

Photo 6. Nelore bull and calf.

As is previously shown, not all of these methods for intensification are utilized in the studied operation&endash;nor would it be possible. Weather patterns, lack of technology and worker education (only one out of every ten of Sue Ann's workers can read and write), in addition to landform and sheer size of the area of landholding all create barriers to certain forms of intensification. The key is to use the right combination of intensification tools in order to manage the operation in its own unique environment. Intensification is not defined by the use of all factors&emdash;it exists in any operation in which production is increasing and becoming more efficient.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Several developments, both in Brazil and worldwide, may affect cattle production on Marajó in years to come. The recent eradication of foot and mouth disease in Brazil's southern states of Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Paraná will allow for the export of beef from these regions, creating a greater domestic demand for Amazonian cattle. In addition, the rapid growth of Amazonia's urban centers of Belém and Manaus will drive the increasing domestic demand for beef. On an international level, the increasing demand for organic beef and the scare of mad cow disease in Europe and the US may cause buyers to look to Brazil as a supplier of beef. Experimentation with new methods of intensification, such as pasture rotation with soybean crops, could be beneficial to ranchers on Marajó. An effective method of intensification in upland Amazonian ranches, planting soybean on pasture allows land to recuperate from grazing stress while soybean restores nitrogen in soil. Harvested soybean can then be sold for a profit. Intensification is essential in order to insure that the existing pasture is used to the fullest extent. If intensification is not successfully carried out, there will be negative effects on biodiversity--wildlife, plants, and fisheries will all suffer. Successful intensification may insure that patches of ilha de mato, riverside forest, and other non-pasture land can be preserved, allowing humankind and nature to coexist.

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