From fruit to livestock: A family from General Alvear's productive shift, as told on Aconcagua Radio
After the hailstorm that devastated their farm in 2008, Santiago and his family turned to cattle ranching. Today, they produce quality calves where fruit trees once stood.
In the Bowen district, in the south of Mendoza province, a former fruit farm converted its production to livestock farming in response to inclement weather, high investment costs, and a complex market. Santiago Ojcius, a local producer, shared his experience with Aconcagua Radio and explained why raising calves in natural pastures is now a more viable and less risky alternative.
"We're located in La Escandinava, a district of Bowen, in General Alvear ," Ojcius said. "In the past, it was almost entirely fruit growing. We grew peaches and plums for industry or drying. But the management was very complex: sometimes you have the harvest and you have to go looking for the market, and sometimes you don't get there. If you don't harvest in three days, you lose the fruit."
The breaking point came in December 2008, when a severe hailstorm severely affected production. “A hailstorm fell, leaving the plants bare, as if winter had suddenly arrived. That's when we started uprooting the plants and analyzing other options, and that's when we began to give more importance to livestock farming,” he recalled.
Since then, the farm has gradually shifted toward cattle breeding. "We raise calves in natural pastures. Then we wean the calves and take them to the farms where we have corrals. There we finish them on a diet based on alfalfa and corn," he explained.
Although the two activities have always coexisted, Ojcius noted that livestock farming currently represents a more stable alternative to the high costs of fruit growing. “Nowadays, livestock farming is the least risky option. To plant fruit trees, you need a lot of infrastructure: drip irrigation, hail protection, and frost protection. And on top of that, you wait four or five years to start harvesting. With a cow, on the other hand, you have a calf in nine months, wean it at three months, and then you can sell it,” he compared.
Another advantage of the livestock business is the market's flexibility. "Fruit is harvested in a couple of days, and you have to sell it at the price they give you; there's no waiting time. With calves, on the other hand, you can choose the best time to sell, depending on the price and the buyer. We're not tied to a single client," he noted.
Currently, the production is primarily destined for the domestic market. "We see what we have to sell. We look for the best buyer, the one who offers the best price and the best terms. There's no single reference; you have the Liniers market, virtual auctions, and online prices," he explained.
When asked about the current price of live cattle, Ojcius offered a concrete figure: "Right now, at auction, they're fetching between 3,500 and 3,600 pesos per kilo. A 140-kilo calf sells for around 500,000 pesos. That doesn't include freight or commissions."
Regarding future projections, the producer emphasized that the key lies in quality: “The only way to make a difference is through genetics, health, and good nutrition. That doesn't happen overnight; it takes time, but it pays off in the long run. We're taking it step by step, seeing which genetics suit us and adjusting our management.”
In a context where a lack of infrastructure, poor connectivity, and climate risk complicate agricultural production, the case of Santiago Ojcius reflects a growing trend in southern Mendoza: focusing on livestock farming as a way to adapt, resist, and continue producing in the countryside.
Listen to the full article here, and you can listen to the radio live at www.aconcaguaradio.com
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