Programme of Intensification of Livestock Production (PIPEC) 2015-2019.

Since 1992, after the General Peace Agreement, livestock production has been growing significantly in cattle and small ruminants. Despite these increases, the country is still dependent on imports in almost all products. The overall objective of the intensification programme is to improve the productivity of livestock breeding and to increase the supply and quality of animal products to market in an accelerated and sustainable manner within the areas and segments of the productive sectors with the highest potential. This programme is complementary to other National programmes to increase livestock production. The specific objectives are: a) to introduce measures of health, reproductive and food management in the agricultural holdings of beef- and milk- cattle and goats; b) to encourage the expansion of the exploitation of chickens and eggs; c) to adopt measures facilitating concerted investment actions to remove constraints in the product value chain.
According to National Plan for Agricultural Investment (PNISA), the priority areas of the livestock subsector are beef and dairy cattle, poultry (chicken and eggs) and small ruminants (sheep and goats). The intensification programme for livestock production should cover the same production, taking into account the sectors and animals with potentiality. Other species, such as chicken and pork, though not chosen for intensification, will continue to deserve special attention from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MASA), for their contribution to the economiy of smallholder farmers and the reduction of rural poverty.
The intensification of production is defined as the application of integrated management measures, in the improvement of production systems, to maximize the livestock species through sanitary, food and reproductive management. In this context, the intensification of livestock production is chosen as one of the ways to increase production and is complementary to ongoing programmes to livestock development, disease control and expansion of chicken and egg production.