Juan Gabriel Rodríguez Sarmiento stands out in Isla de la Juventud for the adequate ecological interactions that he achieves between trees, crops, pastures and animals, thanks to the practice of silvopastoral systems with a view to sustainable development.
In 2015, I requested by Law 300 in usufruct 13.4 hectares (ha) - previously idle - where associated with eucalyptus, in the pastures appear the acacia mangium, better known as African acacia, a fast-growing species of high economic value and useful in soil improvement and white oak, highly prized in cabinetmaking, he commented.
The agronomist added that for animal feeding he planted moringa oleifera (an alternative to high protein forage) and leucaena - a better adapted crop - he maintains the natural herbage of the area, which he enriched with needle grass (Brachiaria humidicola), preferred by cattle and horses.
Last year I acquired five animals, four females and a stallion, the mass grew with three calves, I want to increase this type of herd and also introduce the raising of rams, from a sheep module to provide animal protein to the monthly diet of the pineros, said the also veterinary technician.
He assured that his philosophy is to take advantage of everything, both, the grass cut by the workers of the Communal Services company in the maintenance of green areas in neighboring areas, such as the harvest remains –of neighboring cooperatives–, as a supplement and thus avoid that these wastes are devoured by fire.
With satisfaction, he spoke of family farming as a way of life and key to sustainable development and of the essential alliance between farmers for cultural attention to plantations.
Francisco Gamboa Martínez, head of the state forestry service in the special municipality, described the farm as comprehensive, where in addition the usufructuary together with his family will allocate areas to the sowing of various crops in contribution to the territory's agri-food program.
With 13.4 hectares dedicated to forestry development, Rodríguez Sarmiento contributes to the growth of the heritage of the second Cuban island, a territory that reports 69.3 percent of its surface covered with forests, the highest in Cuba, followed by the province of Guantanamo with 50.4, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information in 2017.
Gamboa Martínez specified that the producer is a beneficiary of the National Forest Development Fund (FONADEF), whose main objective is to promote, finance projects and activities dedicated to conserving and developing forest resources, concerning inventories, management, protection and research, as well as the establishment of forest plantations, silvicultural treatments and reconstruction of forests.
It is worth recognizing the way in which the farmer projected the improvement of the productivity of natural pastures and the introduction of herbaceous and woody legume species, living fences with flowery pine nuts, fundamentally, and the correct management of the farm, although he must improve the system protection against fire, he said.
This forestry project, which in turn develops silvopastoral systems, has its counterpart in the sustainable development goals for 2030.