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Small-farmers dynamics in the sierra of Ecuador

Abstract:

The agrarian structure in Ecuador has an unequal access to land. The growth of livestock production within small and medium farms has been constant in recent years, as well as the feminization of the agriculture. In the Sierra of Ecuador, these processes can be observed with more detail, especially in provinces located in the Sierra center. This has motivated to analyze the dynamics of the small producers of the provinces of Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and Tungurahua. This work shows the results of a survey that allows to analyze, from a sample of 793 farmers, the socio-productive characteristics of the bovine milk farms. Results show that, comparatively, milk production is concentrated in extensions between 0.5 and 1 hectares, being the province of Tungurahua the one with more size distribution of the farms; however, the province of Chimborazo maintains a higher range of family income than the other two provinces. Finally, it is concluded that incentives on factors that improve the modernization of farms can affect family income that does not exceed 40 % of the basic monthly remuneration.