Buffaloes in Bolivia

According to Marco Zava, in 1964 the first 40 to 50 buf faloes from Corumbá, Brazil were brought to Bolivia and they were exemplary crosses of Mediterranean breeds with Jafarabadi and Murrah. They were taken to the Becerra ranch, near Trinidad, capital of the Department of Beni, a low-lying area that remains flooded six months

a year (it is the Bolivian pre-Amazon region). At first, they gave superior results to the zebuinos that were in that ranch; but later due to lack of management, the activity got out of control and the animals were slaughtered.

Buffaloes again arrived in Bolivia in 1974, thanks to a project of the European community, to support the productive development of settlers, located in the community of Paraíso in the Municipality of Puerto Villarroel, José Carrasco province, in the department of Cochabamba, through of the National Institute of Colonization (INC) (Patiño, 2016). These 200 imported buffaloes were of the Mediterranean breed, coming from Caserta, Italy, whose breeding was intended for food security (meat and milk production) and to be used in animal traction. This donation after four years of follow-up had failures, since most of the peasants gave up on the buffaloes, because their management was very different from that of cattle. Some specimens went wild.

In 1977, Mariano Justiniano, made a purchase of 70 buf faloes of the Mediterranean breed from the peasants of the Cochabamba tropics and took them to the de partment of Beni, as a private enterprise for raising and producing milk and cheese. He currently owns a herd of 500 buffaloes and sells 100 copies annually. Part of his herd is destined to the production and sale of milk. Later in 1978, the INC delivered 80 buffaloes and 5 males, to the Faculty of Agricultural and Livestock Sciences of the Universidad Mayor de San Simón, which raised these buffaloes for purposes of conservation, preservation, and small-scale milk and meat production, until 2013. Research work was also carried out on animal health and animal traction.

In 1978 Robert Haab Chávez, and his sons later, began their buffalo livestock, importing from São Paulo (Brazil), as it was reporter by Skorc (2021). Around the year 1986 Walter Kuljis F, acquires his first 70 buffaloes between females and males, the same ones that he imports from Rondonia - Brazil, and in this way he begins his buffalo herd in the department of Santa Cruz (Skorc, 2021).

In 1989 Miguel Magluf imported 20 female buffaloes and 3 male buffaloes from Rondonia (Brazil), of which he sold 10 females and 2 males to Mr. Arnulfo Martínez. He was left with an initial herd of 10 female and 1 male buffalo. At that time, according to Miguel Magluf, there were no buffaloes in Beni or they were not known, over time a part of Don Arnulfo Martínez’s buffalo herd became indomitable and began to go to neighboring properties and even over long distances.

In this way the buffaloes arrive at Santa Rosa, Santa Ana and San Ignacio de Mojos. Most of the imports of these buffaloes belonged to the Mediterranean, Murrah and Jafarabadi breeds.

According to the National Service for Agricultural Health and Food Safety (SENASAG), the buffalo population in Bolivia in 1989 was distributed as follows. 60% in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 39% in Beni and 1% in Cochabamba.

In 2018, the Association of Buffalo Breeders of Bolivia (ASOCRIABUF) was founded in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra under the presidency of Mr. Walter Kuljis

Fuchner. The aforementioned association currently has 32 buffalo producers. It should be noted that its found ing partners were Walter Kuljis Fuchtner, Miguel Majluf, Roberto Haap, Jose Nogales, Denis Gomez, Rodrigo Molina, Luis Quiles Skorc and Efraín Chacón.

According to data from the Federation of Cattlemen of Santa Cruz (FEGASACRUZ) the buffalo population in Bolivia is currently 60,000 heads. (FEGASACRUZ, 2023) If we take as reference the official buffalo population according to FEGASACRUZ of 60,000 heads for the year 2022 and we consider the figure of 13.1% annual population growth of buffaloes in Argentina for 10 years (Crudeli, 2011) and extrapolate it to Bolivia, a buffalo population of 181,683 heads would be reached in this country in the year 2032.

The producers of Beni and Santa Cruz allocate their production to the sale of meat and milk at the local and departmental level and privately in supermarkets as an initiative of private entrepreneurs.

Among dairy derivatives, it should be mentioned that mozzarella cheese is only marketed on a small scale, since it is not yet a product of interest to consumers who prefer cheese made from cow’s milk, for which development is very important marketing for the pro motion of buffalo products.

The possible improvements to the buffalo production systems go beyond the technical-productive aspects, since the market conditions must also be considered so that the corresponding sanitary and safety standards are integrated, in order to differentiate milk, meat and derivatives from the buffalo, highlighting its qualities. These actions could be accompanied by dissemina tion campaigns so that consumers are aware of the peculiarities of the products and by-products of this species. To promote its acceptance, it is necessary for the academic sector to broaden and deepen its research on the breeding, management and use of the buffalo.

Both basic and experimental information on the pro ductive potential of the species is required, as well as the development of technologies to increase the pro ductivity of farms, under a sustainable development perspective. In addition, more efficient organization and market access schemes are needed to generate 

higher income for producers and promote regional development in tropical areas that allow it. It is very important to note that Bolivia was chosen to host the XI Buffalo Symposium of the Americas and Europe in the year 2025.