Hecmilio Galván states that “the cattle rancher will be an ally of the trees and the forest”
Santo Domingo.– Within the framework of the celebration of World Milk Day, the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA) presented this Monday the results of the program “Adaptation of Dominican Dairy Farming to Climate Change and Mitigation of its Effects on the Environment (Green Livestock Farming)”, an initiative that has impacted 2,500 producers across the country through the promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
During a seminar held at the APROLECHE hall, in the Livestock City, the director of FEDA, Hecmilio Galván, highlighted that the traditional livestock production model is evolving towards a more sustainable system, where producers integrate the conservation of natural resources into their activities.
“The paradigm of livestock farming without trees has ended. Today, the rancher does not have to be an enemy of the forest to produce. It has been proven that with greater animal welfare and better climatic conditions for cows, higher milk productivity is achieved, benefiting the producer and the country,” he expressed.
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Galván explained that the program promotes silvopastoral systems, a practice that incorporates trees into grazing areas, contributing to ecosystem recovery, nitrogen fixation in soils, and the reduction of the effects of climate change.
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Likewise, he highlighted that the FEDA has allocated more than RD$96 million to the strengthening of the national livestock sector between 2021 and 2026, through various initiatives aimed at improving productivity and the working conditions of producers.
Among the main achievements, he cited the financing of more than 18 tractors for livestock associations, the training of more than 5,000 producers, the implementation of the Program for the Transformation of the Dairy Sector’s Energy Matrix, and the construction and completion of processing plants in locations such as San José de las Matas and Las Matas de Farfán.
He also highlighted the delivery of more than 5,000 rolls of wire, milk cans and buckets, as well as institutional support for livestock federations and associations in different regions of the country.
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As part of these actions, FEDA built training centers for the Duvergé Cattlemen’s Association, the Northwest Cattlemen’s Federation in Santiago Rodríguez, the Sabana de la Mar Cattlemen’s Association, and the Cibao Cattlemen’s Federation in San Francisco de Macorís.
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The official stated that the experience developed demonstrates that livestock farming and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand.
“We have managed to consolidate a very valuable experience in which livestock farming is not contrary to the environment, but rather an ally of national production and environmental sustainability,” he stated.
The Green Livestock program has also promoted the construction and rehabilitation of dairy processing plants, the strengthening of livestock cooperatives, the development of training centers, sustainable energy projects for the dairy sector, and financing aimed at productive infrastructure, pasture production, forage, and complementary crops.
In addition, community impact projects have been executed, such as the rehabilitation of markets, collection centers, and training spaces for producers, contributing to the economic development of the country’s rural communities.
