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Brangus in Panama
by Marcos Borges
The Panama Brangus Angus Association (Asociación Panameña de Criadores de Ganado Angus y Brangus de la Republica de Panamá – APANGUS) organized a very good Brangus event at the Azuero Livestock in April 2017. The objective of the presentations was to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences, ideas and genetics among Brangus breeders throughout Central America. Rafael Antonio Dutari Martinelli is the association’s president, and he worked very hard to organize the event for the Panamanian breeders and international guests. The fairgrounds were incredible facilities with breeders from different states and other Central American countries. The event included cattle shows for different breeds and trade shows.
Over 70 breeders participated in the two-day event that included cattle displays and shows, as well as a technical symposium.
Among activities for association breeders, participants were given many educational opportunities. Presentation topics included genetics and marketing, which were thoroughly covered from multiple angles. These presentations covered the many benefits the Brangus breed has to offer producers: desirable reproductive traits, adaptability, and carcass quality. This information was presented in an effort to offer Central American breeders the opportunity to improve their herds and compete for the demand in their markets with high-quality beef. International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Representative Marcos Borges made a presentation about IBBA’s member services and extended the invitation for the 2018 World Brangus Congress event.
By focusing on the strengths of Brangus cattle, there is much more to accomplish, in the United States and across the globe, than most breeders have ever dreamed. Any country really is Brangus country.
We found the breeders in Panama to be enthusiastic about the future growth of Brangus in the world market. They are actively seeking genetic materials from the U.S. The Panamanian breeders recognize that Brangus cattle are well adapted to tropical and subtropical conditions found in countries that have much of the growing world population.
Borges, also, gave a report on the most recent Federation of International Brangus Associations (FIBRA) meeting. IBBA is a member of FIBRA, which supports and promotes communication between countries when it comes to information, genetics, export protocols, and other Brangus-related issues.
Most of the breeders with whom we visited were extremely appreciative of and impressed by the attention from IBBA. This market poses a long-term relationship for U.S. Brangus cattle, semen and embryos. The potential volume does not appear to be substantial at this time, but it is obvious that the opportunities will continue to increase. It is important for the IBBA to continue working and improving the recognition of Brangus’s strengths in this region. As the producers of this region begin to include carcass quality attributes into their breeding programs, Brangus will see increased marketing opportunities. Providing continuity of performance measures and expected progeny difference calculations across borders will, also, strengthen the demand for IBBA genetics in this region. We must continue to improve upon IBBA’s annual events during the Houston Livestock Show, and create incentives that encourage breeders to come to the U.S. to further expose more of our membership to this market, as well as to better showcase the extensive selection of Brangus genetics available in the U.S.
Panama Cattle Market
Panama is one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America.
The cattle are predominantly of the Brahman breed, but the crossbred Santa Gertrudis and Brangus are fairly common. There are a number of good purebred herds, and the quality is improving rapidly in the commercial herds. There is room for a great deal of further herd improvement but quality is adequate for much better production than is now achieved.
The U.S. exported a record of nearly $667 million in agricultural products to Panama during the 2014 fiscal year, up nearly 17 percent from the prior year. Top exports included soybean meal, corn, dairy, wheat, and processed food products. The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012, which granted U.S. exporters immediate duty-free treatment on products accounting for more than half of current trade. Tariffs on most remaining agricultural products will be phased out within 15 years. Moreover, the two countries signed a far-reaching agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical standards that eliminated long-standing regulatory barriers faced by a variety of U.S. products in the Panamanian market.
The new trade agreement, combined with the 2014 completion of the Panama Canal expansion project, points to strong future trade and economic growth in Panama. Panama is best known as the narrow strip of land which connects the two Americas. The location of the strategic Panama Canal makes events in this area of worldwide importance. Panama is a small country, some 400 miles long and 40 to 150 miles wide. It is bisected by a mountain chain only about 200 feet high at the lowest point, rising to 11,000 feet at the high point near the Costa Rica boundary.
The wet season and drouth is frequently severe in the dry season. Precipitation is higher on the Atlantic slopes, but this discussion is limited to the populated areas along the Pacific slopes and the vicinity of the canal. The cattle in Panama are grown and finished on grass with little or no supplemental feed. Grass is a major land use but a considerable percentage of it is derived from tropical Savannah and from clearing tropical forest. Much of the land is not suited to crops and cultivation, but it is maintained in satisfactory condition in either forest or grass when supported by correct practices. The first Spanish settlers introduced cattle in the Savannahs and added grazing acreage by clearing forests, which was accomplished through the use of slave labor. Ranching quickly became the principal agricultural activity. However, ranching was virtually static for centuries, and at the turn of the century livestock production was low and quality of feed and animals was poor. Numbers of cattle have increased steadily from about 60,000 in 1903 to approximately 1,000,000 in 1965. Important factors in growth of cattle raising are increase in market demand, introduction of better forage grasses, improvement in breeding animals, and developments in disease and parasite control. Cattle are grown and finished on grass. The normal age of marketing is 30 to 36 months at 900 to 1,100 pounds.
