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The objective was to investigate the existing relationships between production, sustainability and generational succession of dairy farms in Minas Gerais. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test nine hypotheses identified in the literature on the subject. Socially and economically sustainable properties can contribute to increasing family succession. In addition, properties that produce more milk may have greater possibilities of contributing to young people remaining in the dairy activity. The generational succession was directly influenced by economic and social sustainability and, indirectly, by the scale of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy farming is an important sector of national agriculture, being present in all regions of Brazil. In order to have high efficiency, it is essential that there is quality in its production process. The workforce is one of the main elements that can contribute for dairy properties to become more efficient. In fact, research that investigates which elements linked to workforce influence the efficiency of their use can contribute for producers to be able to improve the quality of work in the dairy industry. Therefore, the objective was to analyze which characteristics contribute to the efficiency of the workforce of dairy farms in Minas Gerais, as well as which factors help to distinguish these properties. For this purpose, factor analysis was used to identify the main factors responsible for influencing the quality of the workforce on dairy farms at different levels of efficiency (low, medium and high). The results indicated the existence of five factors: family work, hiring, legalization, incentive and motivation. Legalization and motivation have been shown to be important in dairy farms regardless of their efficiency regarding the use of this resource. The other factors, however, were decisive to differentiate properties that have low and high efficiency. It is concluded that dairy properties should be concerned, mainly, with issues such as contracting, scale of production and incentives for them to be able to have high efficiencies in the use of labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to analyze and characterize the dairy family farms in the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais state, regarding agricultural aspects and feeding, reproductive and milking management. Data used were obtained by Emater-MG, contemplating 195 family farms, analyzed through SPSS® software. The results show that pastures occupied most of the areas, being, in most cases, degraded, indicating the low adoption of conservationist practices, such as rotation, fertilization and intercropping of cultures. It was found that the zootechnical and reproductive indices were much lower than desired. The average daily milk yeld per family unit was 127.81 liters and prophylactic care during the milking was not performed in them. Despite the implementation of several important management practices, there is a need to improve soil and pasture reproduction and milking management, as well as genetic improvement of herds in the properties under study. infrastructure systems and local resources showed itselves sactisfatory for maintaining good zootechnical results and for the family permanence in the activity, being essential in this process good technical guidance appropriate to the reality of each farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to analyze the profitability of 20 demonstration units (DUs) participating in the Balde Lleno program (“Balde Cheio”), in Rio de Janeiro, between January and December 2011. It also sought to identify components with the greatest influence on total and effective operational costs, in addition to their impact on revenues. Data were analyzed with the PASW 18.0 software. The multiple linear regression model was used with the stepwise method to identify production cost components that had the greatest influence on the liquid margin, lucrativeness, and profitability. Regarding the indicators of gross and liquid margin, as well as the result of dairy activity, the economic analysis examined conditions to produce in the short and medium term, but not in the long run, due to a negative result, which would lead to the decapitalization of the producer. The component items of effective operational cost that had greater representativeness on the cost of dairy activity were, in decreasing order, food, labor, and various expenses; in terms of total cost, in decreasing order, the components were food, labor, and the remuneration of the capital invested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimed to apply the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) in a dairy farm with small-scale production, located in the south of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The survey was conducted from January to December 2013 and the gathering of information was carried out through semi-structured interviews on the spot. As data collection instruments were used personal interviews, document analysis and direct and participant observation. The farm object of study had 216 ha, 80% of this, leased. The activities were dairy farming, corresponding to 80% of revenues, and the cultivation of coffee. The breeding farm was 22 predominantly Holstein cows (¾H) that are loose in the pasture. The daily production was 350 liters average of 15.9 liters of milk per cow in milk, in two daily milkings. The main strength was the low cost of hand labor; while the weaknesses identified were the infrastructure, the lack of management control and planning. The mission created takes into account the increased efficiency in milk production and increase the quality of this product without increasing the herd. At the end, a strategic map, where it was revealed that the objectives growth and efficiency will be achieved taking into account the increase in revenue was proposed. It was found at the end of the study, that the principles of BSC can be applied to a farm producing small milk with some caveats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cattle is an important sector in Brazilian economy and its sustainability may contribute towards the development of the production chain. There are few studies that investigate the effects of the use of environmentally correct technologies in the administration of dairy costs. The economic and financial feasibility for the implantation of a small photovoltaic plant and the profitability of a dairy in the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, are analyzed. Operational and total costs were employed to investigate its profitability. The installation of a small photovoltaic plant on the dairy premises was financially feasible due to the fact that positive net value (R$ 711.77) and return internal rate (2.68%) were slightly lower than minimum attractivity rate (2.75%). Payback time (8 years and 8 months) was lower to the plant's useful life. The photovoltaic plant reduced variable costs and was economically and financially feasible. It contributed towards an increase in crude and net profits and in the results (profit) of the dairy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: thermal environment exerts a direct influence on animal performance. Environmental factors, in different circumstances, may affect milk production and fertility of animals, compromising the profitability of the activity. Under heat stress conditions dairy cows reduce feed intake and, consequently, milk production. Sweating and panting are some of the mechanisms these animals use to relieve thermal stress. In addition, animals often suffer physiological and behavioral changes caused by heat stress. Objective: the goal of the present study was to develop and evaluate a model based on fuzzy set theory to predict rectal temperature (°C), and respiratory rate (breaths per minute) responses of Holstein cows exposed to different environmental thermal conditions. Methods: the proposed fuzzy model was based on data obtained experimentally (5,884 records) as well as from the literature (792 records) referring to the effect of environmental variables on both physiological responses. Input variables of each record were dry bulb air temperature and relative humidity. Output variables were rectal temperature and respiratory rate. Results: the adjusted model was evaluated for its ability to predict response variables as a function of input variables. The model was able to predict respiration rate with an average standard error of 7.73 and rectal temperature with an average standard error of 0.27. Conclusions: a fuzzy model was developed to predict physiological responses. The error (%) of model prediction for respiration rate and rectal temperature was +/- 12 and 0.5%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the present study was to evaluate techniques for modeling the physiological responses, rectal temperature, and respiratory rate of black and white Holstein dairy cows. Data from the literature (792 data points) and obtained experimentally (5884 data points) were used to fit and validate the models. Each datum included dry bulb air temperature, relative humidity, rectal temperature, and respiratory rate. Two models based on artificial intelligence—artificial neural networks and neurofuzzy networks—and one based on regression were evaluated for each response variable. The adjusted models predict rectal temperature and respiratory rate as a function of dry-bulb air temperature and relative humidity. These models were compared using statistical indices. The model based on artificial neural networks showed the best performance, followed by the models based on neurofuzzy networks and regression; the last two performed similarly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]