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Impact of Introduced Pastures in Colombian Lowland Ranching

Jose María Martínez,R. Labarta,M. Maredia

Published 2025 in Agricultural Economics

ABSTRACT

The adoption of higher‐nutrient grass varieties, such as Brachiaria, offers long‐term economic benefits for ranchers while enhancing soil health and pasture productivity in Latin America's lowland climates. Despite widespread adoption, the field‐level impacts remain largely unexplored. This study, focusing on Colombia's largest beef‐producing regions, analyzes how the transition to introduced pastures affects productivity, revenue, and land requirements for ranching. Our findings reveal that 66% of pasture acreage among sampled ranchers is now comprised of these introduced varieties. Factors like distance to technology centers, historical violence, and shocks to transportation and trade, hinder adoption. Transitioning from native savannas to introduced pastures significantly boosts productivity, particularly when paired with practices such as weed control and fertilization; however, yield gains fall short of the expectations set by agronomic trials. Overall, the increased revenue per hectare underscores the need to promote introduced‐pasture‐based systems, especially given the limitations of intensive silvopastoral methods.

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