Productive and reproductive indicators of livestock in the Guayzimi parish, Nangaritza canton, Zamora Chinchipe province, Ecuador

The evaluation of the cattle production system allows the diagnosis and suggestions of alternatives to improve production conditions. This study aimed to evaluate productivity and reproductive indicators and their relationship with the production systems in the parish of Guayzimi, canton of Nangaritza, in the province of Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador. A survey was conducted among bovine farmers in the study area, including questions related to social, productive, and reproductive aspects. A sample of 35 producers was analyzed using multivariate principal component analysis, descriptive statistics, correspondence analysis, and multiple correlation matrices Spearman's criterion. The results identified three main components: “Technical-Productive”, “Reproductive Efficiency”, and “Marketing,” which accounted for 35.1 %, 28.7 %, and 13.3 % of the total variance, respectively. Together, these components explained 77.7 % of the variance. The main issues identified were related to herd structure, showing a surplus of cows and bulls at 17.4 % and 78.6 %, respectively, and a deficit of heifers, calves, and young bulls at 21.3 %, 3.3 %, and 39.4 %, respectively. Additionally, a notable stagnation of females in the pre-reproductive stage suggesting they are not a significant variable in the production process. This study shows that achieving productive efficiency requires consideration of the relationship between 'herd organization + production organization + marketing” and the fact that stagnation in the flow of replacement female cattle is due to deficiencies in production strategies. Future studies could build on this research to strengthen the foundation of bovine production in the Guaizimi, Nangaritza, Zamora-Chinchipe.