CATTLE RAISING, FORESTRY AND HE/SHE FISHES
The most important cattle sector is the bovine one (10 million heads in 1999, almost stable value from 1995) that contributes so much to the interior consumption as to the export. The main races are the Brahmin, the Holando, the Jersey, the Santa Gertrudis and the Nelore, and the cattle areas are par excellence to the northwest of the country, in President's departments Hayes (1.930.344 heads in 1995) and Fresh anchovy (belonging to the Chaco), and to the northeast, in San Pedro's departments (958.103 heads in 1995) and Concepción (both in the Oriental Region). they Also highlight, although with smaller importance, the swinish sector (1.446.025 heads in 1995), equine (349.672 in 1995), ovino (381.452 heads) and caprino (60.506 heads in the same year). The surface dedicated to pastures was of 19,5 million hectares in 1995, of those that 10,8 millions were in the Chaco and 8,6 in the Oriental Region.
The forest exploitation is very active, taking advantage numerous wooden tropical species hard. It highlights the exploitation of the quebracho of the oriental Chaco, of which the tannin, and the Ilex paraguaiensis is extracted, of which the dull grass is taken out. Paraguay is very rich in vegetable species, among those that we can find the following ones: lapachos, yvyrá, pytá, kurupa´y, timbó, guatambú, incense, white stick, informer, jacaranda, arasapá, pindó, span, karanda´y, ybyraró, etc.
The difficulties to obtain the wood of the obrajes (passages of exploitation of the forest), they reside mainly in the dispersion of the appreciated species, to what sinks the difficulty of the transport through the forest.
However, the rhythm of the deforestation is alarming. In the last 50 years the surface boscosa has decreased vastly: of 25,6 millions of there is existent in 1945, in 1991 they were only 13,6 millions of there is. The deforestation rate in 1992 was of 200.000 ha/año. But of 90% of the lands with covering boscosa are of private property, not being subject to legislation as for its use. The main affected departments have been Concepción, High Paraná, Caaguazú, Amambay, San Pedro and Itapúa.
The fishing (of fluvio-lacustrine character) it is not very considerable; the annual capture represents some 13.000 tons.
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Encarta Enciclopedy 99 (© Microsoft)
Translations and editing by: Thomas Otter
