Evaluation of Livestock Management Alternatives in Severe Drought Scenarios in Bahía Blanca (Arg)

Abstract

In the livestock activity, the implantation of perennial pastures with tolerance to drought is presented as a very important alternative to ensure a continuous and low-cost forage supply. Another fodder resource widely used to feed breeding herds in the region are natural fields, in which, in addition to their low productivity, significant levels of degradation are observed. The aim of this paper is to carry out a comparative study modeling the physical-productive and economic indicators of a high-tech bovine breeding system tested in the region. It was evaluated against four livestock management decisions in a year of extreme drought. The analysis has confirmed the importance of having its own reserves with an adequate forage chain previously planned to mitigate the impact of the drought.