Diario las Américas., 1958-02-20
Know thv
.Nei9hb"rI
By ANTONIO RUIZ

American country has an area OF
some 400, 900 square kilometers OF
pastures suitable for cattle raising,
mainly in the '1lanos' or plains.
The principal cattle zones are the
Central and Lower Plains, the Lila
nos de Monagas, the Unare, Ma
racaibo and CartIa regions and the
plains of Venezuelan Guayana.
Apure and Guarico are the leading
beef or stock breeding states. The
upper llanoS Of BarinaS, CoJedeS
and Portuguese are also important,
but here crop farming has been
growing at a faster rate than cat
tie raising.
The biggest increases in cattle
have occurred i'll the Andes and
Zulia, Lara and Falcon states, as
well as in Anzoaregui, Monagas and
Sucre. The zones to the north, such
as Zulia, and he regions around
the larger industrial towns, such as
Caracas and Valencia, are dedicat-
ed mainly to raising dairy cattle.
Of the diary regions, Zulia State is
one of the richest.
Dairy herds which now number
over a million, are growing at the
rate of about IS per cent yearly.
Daily milk production in zulia is
about 100000 gallons, of which
some 10000 are %processed. Butter
and milk produced in Zulia are
marketed throughout the country.
In fact, most of the butter consum-
ed in Venezuela comes from that
region. Powdered milk is manufac-
tured on a large scale. The dairy
industry of Zu'ia is characterized
by constant efforts to improve and
modernize every phase of produc-
ton. j..
In the year 1946, the Institute of
Veterinary Rsesrch established
the system of acting as consult
ants for rural veterinary doctors,
and material from veterinary elm
les throughout the country started
to pour in. A year later, the New
castle disease was isolated and cor
responding vaccine manufactured.
Much work was undertaken on the
foot and mouth disease which was
proven in Venezuela for the first
time during 1850. Since then, the
disease has been completely wiped
out, after a vigorous campaign.
During 1852, zonal research into
the parasitic disease of cattle in
Ell Tuy area was extensive and
highly successful. The Institute al
so has been taking an active part
in the campaign against canine
rabies during the last few years.
More than five million b~olivars
worth of biological and pharma-
ceutical products have been pre-
pared during the last few years by
the Institute. 1t has also regularly
cooperated with rural veterinary
stations throughout the country,
sending medicines for the proven
ton and treatment of animal di-
seaseS
The results Of scientific research
are published at intervals, and
more than fifty publications have
been issued. The Institute of We
terinary research also maintains
active contact with similar organi-
cations in other countries of the
world.
Cattle was first introduced in
Venezuela around the time of the
foundation of the city of Coro, in
1927. II seems that the founder of
Coro imported a small herd from
Santo Domingo. BY the year 1916
there were some 800 head of cattle
in Ell Tocuyo. Two years later,
Crlstobal Rodriguez introduced
cattle to the iianos, which today
are Venezuela's most important
stock breeding region. During the
two and a half centuries that follow
ed, livestock continued to grow in
the country, many of the early set
tiers bringing cattle and other farm
animals with them. One of the last
regions to see cattle raising activi.
ties was the Venezuelan Guayana,
where cattle were introduced first
by Catalonian monks in 1725.
Spanish Version Page 3