Effects of Alternative Cassava and Taro Feed on the Carcass and Meat Quality of Fattening Pigs Reared under Ecuadorian Backyard Systems.

Ecuadorian small producers use crossbred animals with a low level of genetic improvement, which are fed with alternative feeds to decrease production costs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of geographical location and three diets according to the amount of cassava and taro incorporated into the feed (T1 conventional feed; T2 and T3 with 32% and 42% of cassava and taro, respectively) in pigs reared under the backyard system. The results did not show many differences between the treatments for morphological traits; however, between geographical locations, significant differences were evidenced.

Utilization of Cooked Cassava and Taro as Alternative Feed in Enhancing Pig Production in Ecuadorian Backyard System.

Pork production in Ecuador is of significant economic and nutritional importance. Many of these operations are family- or backyard-based and utilize alternative feed ingredients to reduce production costs. The current study aimed to determine the chemical composition of cooked cassava and taro, and to evaluate their inclusion in the feed of backyard pigs during the growth and fattening phases.

Characterization and Typology of Backyard Small Pig Farms in Jipijapa, Ecuador.

To characterize the traditional systems of small pig producers in Jipijapa (Manabí, Ecuador) and to classify farms into representative categories, we interviewed fifty-five farmers from seven communities considering four dimensions: social, organizational, production methods, and local food resources. Multiple correspondence analyses and hierarchical clusters were carried out using the Ward method. The analysis differentiated communities based on social, productive, and local resource variables, showing three factors that accounted for 85.