CARACTERIZACIÓN DE SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN LECHERA DE ECUADOR

Abstract

This work is the research on milk production systems (SPL) considering agro-climatic regions to identify limitations, potentials and interactions that could help to determine productivity and sustainability. The study uses an aleatory sample of production unities (UPA’s) then a classification was proposed in two steps. First, a study depending on the size of the farm, then a study where the variables are the number of individuals of the family, instruction level, age, irrigation systems, cattle quantity, cattle species, cattle feed, pasture type, pasture area, price and marketing of the products. The investigated SPL shown a broad variety of UPA’s, the smaller ones associated with rural economy and low profit benefits and the bigger ones associated with large area of technical production with high profit benefits allowing re-investments in the activity. The main factor that determines the technical criteria of the milk produces is the milk price, which fluctuations in the market are decisive in the industrialization of the milk production.