South American Camelids: Management and Production in Chile
PROLOGUE
The South American Camelids (CSA) are a source of livestock wealth and population genetics in the Andes. The term CSA includes two domestic species, the alpaca (Lama pacos) and llama (Lama glama), and two wild species: the vicuña (Lama vicugna) and the guanaco (Lama guanicoe). CSAs are a source of fiber, meat, and many work products essential for the survival of a large segment of the high Andean population, particularly for their efficient use of land in an adverse environment such as the fragile grasslands of the Andean highlands. Five countries have the largest wild populations of these species: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.
The role of CSA in food security is of great importance in populations living in the high Andean zones. They serve as a means of loading and transport, their fiber is used for clothing, their meat as a protein source, and their dung as fuel and fertilizer. It is estimated that 90 percent of all alpacas and llamas are in the hands of small subsistence producers in these settlements.
Raising alpacas and llamas is an economic activity relevant to the Andean regions, emphasizing the production of alpaca fiber, which has a high valuation in international markets for its fine texture.
Conversely, alpaca meat has very low consumption in urban areas, despite its extraordinary nutritional qualities, such as its low percentage of fat and higher protein level compared to other species. It is suitable for the nutrient profiles of modern societies.
The major problem limiting the acceptance of camel meat for human consumption is sarcocystiosis, a parasitic disease that does not affect humans but alters the meat’s acceptability, creates an unpleasant appearance, and can be confused with other high-potential zoonotic parasitoses. Additionally, camel meat is considered food unique to peasants, and urban populations avoid it due to idiosyncrasies between people of the borough.
Due to the great potential of camelids for the socio-economic development of Andean communities in different aspects of food security, poverty alleviation, and hygienic quality nutrition, FAO, at the request of the Andean countries, approved the technical cooperation project “Parenting support and exploitation of South American camelids in the Andean Region” (TCP/RLA/2914).
ABSTRACT
Commercial exploitation of camelids has been limited to domestic species and, in the last 150 years, has been in the hands of a few producers and intermediaries that control production. World production is centered in Peru, which produces about 90 percent of camel hair. Production in these species has never been seriously developed outside Peru and Bolivia. In Chile, South American camelids represent only one percent of the total cattle population of the country; however, they are the main source of income for the Aymara people living in the Andean highlands of the north.
The fiber market has always been volatile, with wide fluctuations in price and production volumes. Very little has been done with respect to production technologies and hair improvement. Most progress has been made in textile processing technology and hair treatment.
Domestic camelid meat has been considered a poor-quality product, mainly due to parasitic diseases, such as Sarcosporidiosis, which alters its organoleptic characteristics.
The only opportunity to develop the production of camel hair and meat is to create animal breeding programs to provide “qualified” products for domestic consumption and export to other countries. The market for camel products, both hair and meat, can grow and develop, but only if production is more orderly, with cost management, and promotion of the special characteristics of the hair.
Commercial exploitation of camelids in Chile has the potential to become a profitable business with many benefits for the agricultural sector, as well as for those who currently depend on these animals for their livelihood. We can expect to achieve levels of success similar to those obtained in other countries, considering the excellent health conditions in Chile and the ability to apply modern scientific and management technologies.
The demand for domestic camels imported from Chile resulted in significant economic returns for exporters and producers, even though it was poorly managed and reduced, until it almost disappeared in the last five years.
The vicuña has been hunted for its fine hair, and in Chile, it became an endangered species close to extinction. However, since 1970, an effective protection program began. As a result, the vicuña population has increased to 25,000 specimens in the highlands of the north.
Currently, vicuñas are captured and shorn for their fine hair. Since 1995, the capture and shearing system has been studied and used in Chile, and different modules are currently being developed in semi-captivity breeding.
Finally, as a result of a successful conservation program, the guanaco population has tripled in the XII Region of Chile. Currently, guanaco management in captivity is focused on obtaining humans and animals adapted to different management situations. Future research of this kind is designed to evaluate different management practices and their effects on the species, specifically in captivity, to study the economic viability of operations and maintenance of wildlife populations.
The Main Issues
contained in this document relate to the management and
South American camelids production in Chile.
The number of camels in Latin America, after having reached its maximum expansion and
development during the life of the Inca Empire, declined to less than 500 000 alpacas and 1
million llamas in Peru and even lower populations in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, having
vanished from Ecuador.