Escuela Agropecuaria Nº 1 leads livestock research in Santa Cruz

The Escuela Agropecuaria Provincial Nº 1 ‘Heroínas de Malvinas’ in Gobernador Gregores is leading a research project to evaluate the impact of the first local protein-energy pellets on sheep farming in Santa Cruz.

The project utilizes an integrated production chain: the school provides alfalfa grown under irrigation, which is combined with local grains, such as oats harvested in El Calafate with the state company Santa Cruz Puede S.A.U. These materials are processed at the Provincial Agrarian Council (CAP) pelletizing plant.

The study focuses on the critical peripartum and final third of gestation stages. Researchers are comparing two groups of 50 artificially inseminated ewes: a test group receiving half a kilogram of the local supplement daily, and a control group with no supplementation. Over a 45-day period, the team is monitoring live weight, body condition, fleece weight, lambing percentages, and fecal controls. This initiative serves as a practical application of technical education, allowing students to participate in planning, sampling, and data analysis.