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In two marginal dairy communities with similar physical environment, ethnic composition, and farm structure, a significant difference in productivity (milk yield per cow) was related to differences in educational attainment of farmers, proximity to an urban area, and availability of marketing outlets and agricultural information sources. Contains 33 references. (SV)

Effectiveness of a videotape on milking procedures was evaluated by showing it to 218 dairy farmers, with previewing evaluation, 2 viewings with discussion between, and postviewing evaluation. Tape quality and information content were rated highly, but an immediate second viewing was considered less effective than providing tapes for subsequent home viewing. (SK)

Of 21 farmers who watched a video of a master dairy farmer, 69% adopted one or more new practices. A key to successful video production was an articulate subject interacting with knowledgeable extension faculty asking questions. The quality of audio and video equipment was also important. (SK)

Extends research of how dairy farm couples allocate their labor across on- and off-farm work domains. Reports that farm, family, and individual characteristics influence the differentiation and integration of husbands' and wives' on- and off-farm work similarly, but that effects of these factors are mediated by crop. Contains 21 references (Author/DHP)

Describes a study conducted to determine if extension agents could expand their audience through a series of statewide on-farm meetings. The study also sought to determine if the on-farm approach would result in adoption of recommended mastitis control practices. Results are presented and discussed. (CT)

Dairy farmers in developing countries face numerous challenges, including price instability, limited credit access, outdated technology adoption, market barriers, and poverty. Cooperatives offer promising solutions to farmers' problems and help them enhance their agricultural sustainability. Although the impact of cooperative membership has been widely investigated, little evidence is found in dairy farming households. This study estimates the impact of cooperative membership on dairy farmers' household incomes, net returns, and profits from dairy products (processed and fresh milk). The cross‐sectional data were collected from 300 dairy farmers in East Java, Indonesia. Inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment (IPWRA) and two‐stage predictor substitution (2SPS) were used in the analysis to address the selection bias in the estimation. The findings are corroborated by a robustness check using propensity score matching. The results show that dairy farmers' decisions to join a cooperative are positively and significantly influenced by farming experience, transportation ownership, number of cattle owned, and involvement in social activities and are negatively influenced by age. Cooperative membership significantly improves farmers' welfare by increasing their household incomes, net returns, and profits from fresh milk products. However, the membership reduces profits from processed milk products. These findings suggest that the government should encourage farmers to participate actively in cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the commitment of farmer members to traditional and hybrid cooperatives, and examines how and why their commitment has changed over time. The empirical basis consists of three surveys of representative samples of Finnish farmers conducted in 2010, 2013 and 2016. Dairy cooperatives in Finland have a traditional organizational form. Animal breeders deliver to hybrid cooperatives that have some external investors, but farmers have the majority of the votes. In both industries, the farmers are committed to their cooperatives and increasingly so over the years. This is particularly true of dairy farmers. However, the members' commitment is based more on their satisfaction with the cooperatives' business activities rather than on any cohesion within the cooperative societies. One explanation for this is that primary agriculture is becoming more consolidated, with fewer but larger farms whose owners are business oriented and professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxins, primary foodborne mycotoxins, come from Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus fungi. They pose significant health risks to humans and animals, creating a major challenge in the dairy sector. The objective of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of dairy farmers regarding aflatoxin contamination in milk and feeds. Conducted as a cross‐sectional study in Bahir Dar city between November 2019 and February 2020, this investigation randomly selected 106 dairy farms for data collection. Face‐to‐face interviews, facilitated by a semistructured questionnaire, were employed. Findings indicate that 59.4% of respondents displayed good knowledge, while a substantial 94.3% exhibited a favorable attitude. Intriguingly, only 1.9% implemented good practices. Notably, the educational background of dairy farmers emerged as a significant factor influencing their KAP (p < 0.05). Conversely, various sociodemographic factors did not yield a significant impact on the KAP of dairy farmers. Despite a robust knowledge base and favorable attitudes towards aflatoxin among dairy farmers, the study highlights a significant gap in the implementation of recommended practices. This finding emphasizes the necessity for increased efforts to cultivate and reinforce good practices. Collaborative initiatives involving diverse stakeholders are crucial to reducing aflatoxin contamination in the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The EU represents the second largest milk producer at the global level and has the potential to be a key driver of future economic growth. However, the European dairy sector is facing major challenges. To achieve its potential, growth must be delivered from sustainable production systems, which provide viable incomes and an adequate quality of life to dairy farmers, impact less on the environment, and are valued by society. This study focusses on improving the resilience of the dairy farming systems in Europe. Fifteen EU countries participated. Needs and solutions (practices, techniques, and tools) were inventoried by surveys and by a series of local workshops. The solutions were scored by experts, farmers, and stakeholders from the participating countries. The outcomes highlight the diversity in farmer communities and stakeholders in Europe and the practices and techniques most wanted to contribute to building a more resilient dairy sector in times to come. The objective of the EU project Resilience for Dairy (R4D) is to develop and strengthen a self-sustainable Thematic Network on resilient dairy farms in 15 European countries. This article focusses on those solutions (practices and techniques) that are assessed contributing to a resilient dairy farming sector. The opinions of experts, farmers, and stakeholders were collected and scored through surveys and in a series of local workshops. Six key contributing knowledge fields are included: economic and social resilience, technical efficiency, environment, animal welfare and health, and societal perception. Assessing these knowledge fields proved to be a good predictor for measuring resilience. Only the impact fields of animal welfare and health and societal perception overlapped each other in response. This study shows differences in the choice of solutions across Europe. Experts from South and East Europe are more positive about the contribution of solutions to resilience than their colleagues from North and West Europe, except for social life items. Expert and farmer/stakeholder opinions differ regarding several of the solutions. Technical efficiency is a leading strategy. Priority topics of interest are communication with society, renewable energy production, strategic hoof trimming, early detection of diseases, monitoring fertility and health, and calf rearing. Besides resilience, attractiveness and readiness of the solutions were also assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeat breeder (RB) cows are clinically healthy animals with regular oestrous cycles that do not become pregnant after three or more services. This syndrome has an incidence ranging between 10.1% and 24%. Repeat breeder syndrome (RBS) in dairy cows leads to economic losses to dairy farmers by increasing the calving interval and consequently reducing milk and calf production. RBS has a complex oetiopathogenesis as many factors are involved in its onset. The causes can be grouped into two categories: causes leading to fertilisation failure and factors leading to early embryonic death. Accurate identification of the cause and early diagnosis of RBS is essential to minimise the problems that this issue brings to the farm, but is not always possible. Hypothesising the underlying aetiology of the syndrome is also crucial for targeted therapy, whether pharmacological or managerial. The aim of this review is to report the different therapies, proposed in the literature, for the treatment of RBS in cattle, based on the knowledge of possible aetiological causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin constitutes a significant concern for food and feed safety, posing detrimental health risks to both animals and humans. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and concentration of aflatoxins in maize feed, total mixed ration, and wheat bran collected from specialized dairy farms and local markets in three major urban centers in eastern Ethiopia. A total of 180 feed samples were collected from September 2021 to January 2022 in Chiro town, Dire Dawa city, and Harar city. These samples underwent thorough extraction and immunoaffinity clean-up before aflatoxin analysis using HPLC/FLD. The results revealed that AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, and TAF contamination was detected in 72.2%, 66.1%, 71.1%, 68.7%, and 82.8% of the feed samples, respectively. The corresponding mean levels of each aflatoxin were 28.15 ± 3.50, 3.3 ± 0.40, 19.87 ± 1.87, 2.7 ± 0.32, and 54.01 ± 4.72 µg/kg, respectively. The occurrence and levels of aflatoxin varied across different study sites and feed types. Notably, feeds from Dire Dawa city exhibited significantly higher mean levels of AFB1 (43.98 ± 5.3 µg/kg), AFB2 (5.69 ± 0.6 µg/kg), AFG1 (32.25 ± 2.7 µg/kg), and AFG2 (5.01 ± 0.5 µg/kg) than feeds from other urban centers did. Additionally, a significantly higher occurrence of AFB1 (29.4%) and AFG1 (28.3%) was detected in feed from Dire Dawa city. Similarly, the total mixed ration (TMR) displayed significantly higher levels of AFB1 (50.67 ± 5.2 µg/kg), AFB2 (4.74 ± 0.6 µg/kg), AFG1 (32.87 ± 2.6 µg/kg), and AFG2 (3.86 ± 0.5 µg/kg) compared to the other feed types. Moreover, a significantly higher occurrence of AFB1 (30.7%) and AFG1 (28.7%) was detected in the TMR. Furthermore, a moderate correlation was observed between the count of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species and the levels of TAF in the feed samples. Overall, this study underscores the widespread presence of aflatoxin contamination in dairy feeds in eastern Ethiopia, highlighting the urgent need for stringent monitoring and mitigation measures to ensure food and feed safety, as well as public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. In French dairy goat systems, kids are generally separated from their mother does shortly after birth. The main drivers of this practice are related to health—especially the prevention of the caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) transmission—and economics. However, the separation of young ruminants from their does is being increasingly questioned by society and has raised concerns about the satisfaction of their behavioral needs. Some farmers choose to leave their female kids with their does. The aims of this study were to understand their motivations for leaving kids with their does, to describe how kids are reared in this case and how farmers perceive different aspects of the effects of this practice. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 40 farmers who had implemented the kids-with-does practice for at least 1 yr. Compared with the national database describing the French population of dairy goat farmers, the characteristics of the interviewed farmers differed from those of the general population. They were younger and had done longer studies. Their farms were smaller, mainly with rare breeds, and milk was mainly processed on-farm under an organic certification system. They chose to implement this practice for different reasons: ethical considerations, improving integration of kids within the herd, saving time, and increasing comfort at work or improving the kids' growth, welfare, and health. The doe-kid rearing contact practices varied greatly between farms, with some kids staying with their does from a period of 45 d to never being separated; furthermore, some kids remained with their does all day, whereas others remained together part of the day or for a limited time, and daily contact evolved over time. Overall, farmers were satisfied as the benefits quoted were coherent with their motivations to implement this rearing practice. Most have decided to continue the practice, though usually with changes. However, as 40% of them had only 3 yr or less of experience of doe-kid rearing, some had not sufficient hindsight into long-term issues such as the transmission of CAEV. It is crucial to tackle challenges associated with this practice (i.e., potentially wild kids, health issues, and economic consequences stemming from a reduction in marketable milk). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Mastitis is one of the most common diseases of dairy cattle. It has a high impact on-farm economy, farmers' working time, and antimicrobial usage (AMU). Selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) is an effective means of reducing AMU without negatively affecting udder health. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of SDCT implementation on farmer income, working time, and AMU, using a bioeconomic model. A stochastic dairy simulation model (DairyHealthSim) based on a weekly model was used to simulate herd dynamics, reproduction, milk production, culling decisions, health outcomes, and the management of health events. A specific module was developed for the simulation of quarter-level IMI acquisition and elimination during the lactation and dry-off periods, and 25 different farm settings were defined to represent herds with various udder health situations. We then defined 20 scenarios of SDCT by combining both the use of different thresholds of SCC and milk bacteriology for treatment allocation and the use of internal teat sealant (ITS). All SDCT protocols had little effect on farmer income, and we identified some protocols with a positive farm gross margin (up to Can$15.83/dried cow; at time of writing, Can$1 = US$0.72). We also found that adding an ITS to all cows led to greater economic gain. The application of SDCT had little effect on farmers' working time, except when milk bacteriology was used for decision making. Antimicrobial treatment to all cows above 200,000 cells/mL at last control, with the use of ITS on all cows, seems a good choice in most dairy farms. These findings could be used to convince farmers to adopt this strategy at dry-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety remains a critical concern globally, particularly in the dairy industry of developing countries, where quality standards are often insufficient. This is attributed to low milk production, poor milk handling practices and domination of the sub-sector by informal and unregulated milk marketing channels. An improvement in the quality of the milk produced is necessary to alleviate concerns about food safety and health. This study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select a sample of 282 dairy farmers in Meru County, Kenya. Relevant data was collected on identified variables using a structured questionnaire, and a Poisson Regression Model was used to determine the role of producer organizations in promoting farm-level implementation of milk hygiene strategies. The results indicate that producer organization membership has a positive and significant influence on the extent of farm-level implementation of milk hygiene strategies. The findings of this study provide relevant information for policy formulation aimed at improving the performance of producer organizations and the growth of the dairy industry. Therefore, dairy farmers experiencing technical difficulties should be identified and incentivized to actively participate in producer organizations, so as to increase their access to relevant extension services such as training in milk hygiene strategies, which would enhance their implementation of milk hygiene strategies at the farm-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is a key driver of productivity growth. This paper proposes a novel methodology in order to explore the impact of farm-level innovations on farm productivity and its components (i.e. technology, efficiency and scale) using representative data from Irish dairy farms. We measure innovation by an index based on employed production practices, continuous innovation activity and knowledge weighted by expert opinions. The results suggest that more innovative Irish dairy farmers are more productive. Specifically, all farmers improve their production technology and efficiency through their use of innovations, but farmers at specific levels of innovativeness may experience a decrease in productivity due to the small scale at which they operate. This indicates that innovation has a non-linear effect on productivity. We discuss the policy implications for reducing the unequal gains of innovation across farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires a multidisciplinary One Health approach, which necessitates buy-in from all stakeholders. In Aotearoa New Zealand, where the dairy industry is one of the largest users of antimicrobials, there are ongoing efforts to optimise antimicrobial usage (AMU) to minimise the development of AMR. These include regulations around the veterinary authorisation of the use of antibiotics by farmers without the need for a specific prescription (“the RVM process”) and programmes such as the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s antibiotic ‘Traffic Light System’. The goal of this pilot survey was to develop and trial a questionnaire to determine how much Aotearoa dairy farmers understand about One Health, AMR, the RVM process and how their actions regarding AMU affect the wider environment. Methods A 55-question semi-structured questionnaire was piloted on 15 dairy farms in the Lower North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand via an in-person semi-structured interview between September and November 2021. Results None of the interviewed farmers could define the term One Health. However, the majority found the RVM process to be of use on their farm, although admitted they generally felt frustration regarding AMR, seeing it as a blockage to productivity, and lacked awareness regarding how their actions were related to its development. Of the farmers interviewed over half had not heard of the traffic light system, and of those who had, one admitted they refused to adhere to it. Conclusions This survey’s novel findings have highlighted that there are notable gaps within dairy farmer understanding of AMU, AMR and One Health as well as highlighting that veterinarians could do more to keep their clients informed of their important role within One Health. There is still a lot more work to do with regards to vets, farmers and industry representatives working together to embrace One Health. Simple solutions would be to encourage farmers returning unused drugs to their veterinarians for correct disposal and to actively engage farmers further regarding AMU and AMR, so that these end-product users do not feel disconnected from the process.

ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial use (AMU) data are essential to monitor the effect of AMU reduction strategies in animal health. The use of technology and herd recording software to record AMU will be vital to scale the collation of these data in the future. The aim of this study was to determine the barriers and facilitators to Irish dairy farmers recording their AMU using a herd recording software and sharing AMU data. Thirty-three Irish dairy farmers involved in a study on AMU monitoring were asked to record their AMU using a herd recording software over a 12-mo period. At the end of the 12-mo period, 10 of these farmers were selected to take part in semi-structured interviews exploring their opinions on recording AMU, the use of herd recording software, and sharing AMU data. Interviews were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Several barriers and facilitators to farmers recording their AMU using a herd recording software and sharing AMU data were identified. Barriers included the age and generation of the farmer, farm infrastructure, a lack of training and education, a lack of knowledge around the benefits of digital data, a lack of incentive to digitize records, and a fear of repercussions. Facilitators identified by the farmers included the benefits of having instantly available data for making herd management decisions, reduced paperwork, increased organization for inspections, and a potential positive effect on the image of the dairy industry. To increase the uptake of new technology to record AMU at farm-level, farmers will need support in terms of education and training around the software available to them and reassurance around the perceived risks of repercussions with sharing data in a digital format.

Some New Zealand dairy farmers are using semen from Norwegian Red (NR) bulls to explore the performance of this breed under local grazing conditions. The objective of this study was to compare the first lactation performance of first cross NR cattle with traditional New Zealand breeds. Data were collected from six dairy farms in Southland, New Zealand, during 2022–2023 milk production seasons. Data were collected from 1178 first lactation cows including herd test of daily yields of milk, fat and protein and somatic cell counts, and persistency. Breeds included 386 NR cross (NRX), 231 Holstein Friesian (F), 84 Holstein Friesian cross (FX), 134 Holstein Friesian x Jersey (FJ) and 58 Jersey cross (JX) cows. Findings indicate F cows produced the greatest cumulative milk yield (3,744 kg), 138.6 kg more than NRX cows. There were no significant differences among the breed groups for milk yield and milk solids yield persistency and SCS (SCS = Log2 SCC). The total lactation milk yield of NRX cows was lower than that of the other breeds, excluding JX. These results pertain specifically to first lactation cows; therefore, it is necessary to undertake further analysis to evaluate the long-term productivity and longevity of NR breeds under New Zealand conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scope for improving the sustainability of intensive dairy farms through the uptake of sustainable production practices such as more grass‐based feeding systems. Such feeding systems can reduce feed‐food competition and the environmental impacts of feed production, among other farm‐level and societal benefits. However, empirical research on how farmers' feed choices mis(align) with sustainability transitions and the associated drivers is limited. This paper explores the trade‐offs that farmers make between the environmental, social and economic sustainability impacts of grass‐based feeding systems based on data from Swedish dairy farmers. Using an identity‐based utility framework and a hybrid latent class model, we find substantial heterogeneity in dairy farmers' trade‐offs between feed‐related sustainability attributes: greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, animal welfare, feed self‐sufficiency, feed cost and milk yield. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that farmers who are strongly interested in the environmental and social sustainability impacts of their dairy feeding systems, beyond economic gains, are motivated mainly by their pro‐environmental and pro‐social identities. Overall, our findings imply that identity‐enhancing interventions are promising policy instruments for encouraging the uptake of more grass‐based feeding systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor health conditions of livestock cause sizeable losses for many farmers in the Global South. Veterinary services, including vaccinations, could help but often fail to reach farmers under typical smallholder conditions. Here, we examine how the provision of a vaccine against East Coast Fever (ECF)—a tick‐borne disease affecting cattle in Africa—can be designed to reduce typical adoption barriers. Using data from a choice experiment with dairy farmers in Kenya, we evaluate farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for various institutional innovations in vaccine delivery, such as a stronger role of dairy cooperatives, new payment modalities with a check‐off system, vaccination at farmers' homestead, and bundling vaccinations with discounts for livestock insurance. Our data reveal that farmers' awareness of the ECF vaccine is limited and adoption rates are low, largely due to institutional constraints. Results from mixed logit and latent class models suggest that suitable institutional innovations—tailored to farmers' heterogeneous conditions—could significantly increase adoption. This general finding likely also holds for other veterinary technologies and services in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Clinical mastitis (CM) treatment decision-making is a multifaceted process that remains relatively understudied, despite CM being one of the most prevalent diseases on dairy farms worldwide, contributing greatly to the use of antimicrobials in the dairy industry. This study aimed to gain insights into decision-making mechanisms employed by dairy farmers in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, when dealing with CM. Methods: Interviews were held with 15 dairy farmers in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to develop both the decision-pathway and overarching themes influencing the CM decisions by farmers in this region. Results and discussion: The analysis generated a decision-making process that begins with identification and classification of CM, guided by visual characteristics of milk and the udder, available milk production and quality data, presence of systemic signs, and additional diagnostics. Subsequently, CM cases are assessed based on the likelihood of cure, value of the cow, and herd goals to decide whether antimicrobial treatment is desired. Next, a treatment choice is made by evaluating severity and urgency of the case, availability of drugs and timing of the case. Finally, definition of treatment success and progression over time following the treatment decision guides the termination of treatment. Three overarching themes were generated that shape the decision-making process: 'Personal attributes', including personal approach and experiential knowledge; 'Inter-actor dynamics', such as shared decision-making and dynamics among producers, veterinarians, and milkers; and 'Moving beyond protocols', which highlights the dynamic nature of mastitis decision-making. These insights have the potential to inform the development of effective interventions to improve CM antimicrobial use that align with the reality of farming operations within Western Canada, and potentially beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. For successful development and adoption of technology on dairy farms, farmers need to be included in the innovation process. However, the design of agricultural technologies usually takes a top-down approach with little involvement of end-users at the early stages. Living Labs offer a methodology that involve end-users throughout the development process and emphasize the importance of understanding users' needs. Currently, exploration of dairy farmers' technology needs has been limited to specific types of technology (e.g., smartphone apps) and adult cattle. The aim of this study was to use a Living Lab approach to identify dairy farmers' data and technology needs to improve herd health and inform innovation development. We conducted 18 focus groups with a total of 80 dairy farmers from Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Data were analyzed using Template Analysis, and 6 themes were generated representing the fundamental needs of autonomy, comfort, competence, community and relatedness, purpose, and security. Farmers favored technologies that provided them with convenience, facilitated their knowledge and understanding of problems on farm, and allowed them to be self-reliant. Issues with data sharing and accessibility and usability of software were barriers to technology use. Furthermore, farmers were facing problems around recruitment and management of labor and needed ways to reduce stress. Controlling aspects of the barn environment, such as air quality, hygiene, and stocking density, were particular concerns in relation to youngstock management. Overall, the findings suggest that developers of farm technologies may want to include farmers in the design process to ensure a positive user experience and improve accessibility. The needs identified in this study can be used as a framework when designing farm technologies to strengthen need satisfaction and reduce any potential harm toward needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the uptake of education and training by Irish dairy farmers and how they perceive their training needs to be evolving as their farm business grows and they become employers. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey was conducted with 315 dairy farmers, who were randomly selected based on herd size and location to be representative of dairy farmers in Ireland. Findings: The results demonstrate the number of people working on the farm influence farmers' educational and training requirements. The results of this study show the need for specific human resource management advice and training for dairy farm employers. Practical implications: This study provides an understanding about the type of education or advice farmers need when transitioning into larger-scale businesses, which require more hired labour. Theoretical implications: This paper demonstrates that dairy farmers' experiences of education and training is dependent on where individuals are within their transitional experience, highlighting the importance of change management research in terms of life-long learning. Originality/value: Uniquely this study provides an understanding of how dairy farmers' education and training needs are evolving as their businesses develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires a multidisciplinary One Health approach, which necessitates buy-in from all stakeholders. In Aotearoa New Zealand, where the dairy industry is one of the largest users of antimicrobials, there are ongoing efforts to optimise antimicrobial usage (AMU) to minimise the development of AMR. These include regulations around the veterinary authorisation of the use of antibiotics by farmers without the need for a specific prescription ("the RVM process") and programmes such as the New Zealand Veterinary Association's antibiotic 'Traffic Light System'. The goal of this pilot survey was to develop and trial a questionnaire to determine how much Aotearoa dairy farmers understand about One Health, AMR, the RVM process and how their actions regarding AMU affect the wider environment. Methods: A 55-question semi-structured questionnaire was piloted on 15 dairy farms in the Lower North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand via an in-person semi-structured interview between September and November 2021. Results: None of the interviewed farmers could define the term One Health. However, the majority found the RVM process to be of use on their farm, although admitted they generally felt frustration regarding AMR, seeing it as a blockage to productivity, and lacked awareness regarding how their actions were related to its development. Of the farmers interviewed over half had not heard of the traffic light system, and of those who had, one admitted they refused to adhere to it. Conclusions: This survey's novel findings have highlighted that there are notable gaps within dairy farmer understanding of AMU, AMR and One Health as well as highlighting that veterinarians could do more to keep their clients informed of their important role within One Health. There is still a lot more work to do with regards to vets, farmers and industry representatives working together to embrace One Health. Simple solutions would be to encourage farmers returning unused drugs to their veterinarians for correct disposal and to actively engage farmers further regarding AMU and AMR, so that these end-product users do not feel disconnected from the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of dairy farmers plan to implement cow-calf contact (CCC) in their herd which necessitates descriptions of the cows' performance in different systems. The aim of the study was to describe (1) Automatic milking system (AMS) milk yield of cows in a CCC system during the first 100 days in milk (DIM) and (2) AMS milk yield before and after cow-calf separation. In a prospective study at a commercial Norwegian dairy farm, we included all calvings from Norwegian Red cows between January 2019 to April 2020. After calving, cow-calf pairs stayed in an individual calving pen during the first 5–6 d before they were moved to the loose housing unit with the remaining herd. Calves had whole-day (24 h/d) and full physical contact to the cows. Cows were milked in an AMS. From 14 individual cows of which one cow calved twice during the study period, we collected daily AMS yields from 15 different lactations, with parities ranging from 1 (n = 6), 2 (n = 5) and 3 (n = 4). Due to the sample size and structure of the data set, we only calculated descriptive statistics from DIM 7-100. All data is shown separately for primiparous and multiparous cows. Mean (± SD) calf age at (fence-line) separation was 52 d ± 14.8 beyond which suckling was prevented. Our data indicates great individual variation in the AMS milk yield. Prior to separation, primiparous cows' AMS yields ranged from 11.0 to 25.9 kg/d while that of multiparous cows ranged from 4.8 to 28.8 kg/d. Once calves were no longer allowed to suckle, the yield increased gradually. During the week after separation, AMS yields ranged from 17.3 to 30.4 kg/d for primiparous cows and 8.7 to 41.8 kg/d for multiparous cows and these yields increased in DIM 93–100 (26.5 to 34.3 and 20.6 to 38.3 kg/d respectively). This study is limited by a low sample size from a single-herd but may provide useful descriptions of AMS milk yield in a whole-day, full contact CCC system during the first 100 days of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the financial growth and technical efficiency of selected dairy cooperatives in India from 2013-14 to 2021-22, utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) methodologies. The Indian dairy sector has witnessed significant growth, with cooperatives playing a vital role in supporting small-scale farmers through collective ownership and equitable profit-sharing. The analysis highlights marked disparities in performance across different geographical zones, revealing that while some cooperative dairies, such as Jammu & Kashmir, Goa, and Sabar, have maintained high levels of technical efficiency (TE) over the years, while others, like Indore and Amritsar, face challenges in operational performance but have room for improvement. The results highlight the essential role of cooperative models in empowering small-scale farmers and improving rural livelihoods, especially in areas with robust cooperative infrastructures such as Gujarat and Karnataka. Similarly, the impressive CAGR of cooperatives in the northern and western regions, respectively, indicates effective operational strategies and investment in infrastructure. Nonetheless, challenges remain, particularly in the East, where cooperatives are underdeveloped and less efficient. Therefore, focused investments and supportive policies are vital to strengthening these cooperatives, helping them stay competitive and foster growth in the Indian dairy sector. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing cooperative structures and infrastructure, particularly in underperforming regions, to ensure sustainable growth and competitiveness in the global dairy market. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and cooperative managers aiming to optimize their operations and reinforce India's leadership in the global dairy market while ensuring sustainable growth and strengthening the socio-economic conditions of millions of rural dairy farmers in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the total financial (direct and indirect) and avoidable losses related to lameness in Turkish dairy herds. Official and previous published data were used for determining the mean (12.9%) and target prevalence (6.6%) values. Direct financial losses due to lameness were calculated as treatment costs, involuntary culling, and milk yield losses. Indirect losses consisted of extended calving intervals and extra insemination losses. As a result, the average financial loss of lameness per case on dairy farms was $153.8 ($116.8 for mild and $264.7 for severe forms) in Türkiye. Avoidable losses ($75.1) were calculated to be equivalent to 187 liters of cow's milk with current prices for the 2023 year. The share of direct and indirect financial losses was 49.6% and 50.4%, respectively. Total annual losses related to lameness in Türkiye are calculated at $130.5 million (326 million Lt. milk eq.), although $63.7 million (159 million Lt. milk eq.) of the losses could be avoided by farmers. The milk equivalent of avoidable losses corresponds to 0.77% of Türkiye's total annual milk production. In conclusion, lameness causes significant financial losses in Turkish dairy herds. However, almost half of these losses (48.8%) may be avoidable with better management practices which help to increase the productivity and profitability of dairy farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial use (AMU) data are essential to monitor the effect of AMU reduction strategies in animal health. The use of technology and herd recording software to record AMU will be vital to scale the collation of these data in the future. The aim of this study was to determine the barriers and facilitators to Irish dairy farmers recording their AMU using a herd recording software and sharing AMU data. Thirty-three Irish dairy farmers involved in a study on AMU monitoring were asked to record their AMU using a herd recording software over a 12-mo period. At the end of the 12-mo period, 10 of these farmers were selected to take part in semi-structured interviews exploring their opinions on recording AMU, the use of herd recording software, and sharing AMU data. Interviews were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Several barriers and facilitators to farmers recording their AMU using a herd recording software and sharing AMU data were identified. Barriers included the age and generation of the farmer, farm infrastructure, a lack of training and education, a lack of knowledge around the benefits of digital data, a lack of incentive to digitize records, and a fear of repercussions. Facilitators identified by the farmers included the benefits of having instantly available data for making herd management decisions, reduced paperwork, increased organization for inspections, and a potential positive effect on the image of the dairy industry. To increase the uptake of new technology to record AMU at farm-level, farmers will need support in terms of education and training around the software available to them and reassurance around the perceived risks of repercussions with sharing data in a digital format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bovine herpes virus type 1 (BoHV-1) the causative agent of Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is of great concern to dairy farmers and veterinarians due to great economic impact caused by the virus in terms of loss of production and abortion. Therefore, the study was planned to detect the virus circulating in the bovine population of the region under study. This virus is an important pathogen of bovine respiratory diseases. The aim of the present study was to isolate the BoHV-1 virus from the upper respiratory tract of bovines. Methods: A total of 13 nasal swab samples were subjected to virus isolation in Madin Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cells lines. A PCR assay was applied to confirm the BoHV-1 DNA by targeting gI glycoprotein gene in isolates. Result: Total two IBR virus isolates were recovered from 13 nasal swab samples of bovines. Both isolates exhibited cytopathic effects i.e. clumping and rounding of cells. A 468 base pair of amplified product from both isolates confirmed the IBR virus in gI gene specific PCR for BoHV-1. This study concludes that IBR virus exists among cattle population of Punjab and it is present in the upper respiratory tract of infected animal and shed through respiratory route. The PCR detection assay for detection of BoHV-1 from nasal swab samples is considerably more sensitive than virus isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmer cooperatives represent a vertical coordination strategy aimed at reducing transaction costs and facilitating the adoption of technologies among farmers. In their roles, cooperatives undertake internal coordination of activities which may include enforcement measures, provision of quality inputs, internal control, and negotiation of favourable terms of exchange with buyers. However, limited attention has been given to understanding how cooperatives' performance in the internal coordination of activities either promotes or hinders the continued adoption of agricultural technologies among cooperative members. We conducted a case study of the dairy sector in West Java, Indonesia, and utilised a mixed-method approach combining insight from dairy cooperative board members and dairy farming households. Our results suggest that the dis-adoption of dairy technologies is rooted in weak or non-existent monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure input and output quality, the absence of price incentives, and inadequate provision of extension services. Furthermore, the lack of tight monitoring and control mechanisms reduces the cooperatives' bargaining power with input providers and milk buyers. Unless these issues within the cooperatives are addressed, continued adoption of recommended dairy farming practices by smallholder farmers will not be sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Foodborne zoonotic diseases caused by inadequate on-farm controls are a major global public health concern, despite dairy products' nutritional value and role in food security. To improve dairy safety on farms, it is critical to understand the factors that influence the adoption of safe milk production practices. The objective of this paper was to assess milk safety practices implemented on smallholder dairy farms and to identify factors associated with farm-level adoption of these practices by dairy farmers in Ethiopia. Methods A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 424 randomly selected dairy farmers across five districts in Ethiopia, with 410 of them being used in the analysis. The level of milk safety practices was developed based on the reported adoption of 45 recommended milk safety measures, which were grouped under animal health, milking hygiene, milk storage, and general hygienic practices. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe and compare key variables, while factors associated with the adoption of milk safety practices under each group and the overall level of milk safety practices adopted were identified using truncated Poisson and ordinary least squares, respectively. Results Smallholder dairy farmers adopted 59% of the milk safety practices, with considerable variation across dairy farmers. Although the level of milk safety practices adoption does not significantly differ between the two zones, our finding uncovered that most of the factors associated with the adoption of milk safety practices significantly differ between zones. This demonstrates that there is a need for location-specific policy recommendations and strategies to improve the adoption of milk safety practices by dairy producers in Ethiopia. Households with more education, dairy farming experience, dairy production training, access to milk safety information, access to credit, and experience with milk safety inspections adopted significantly more milk safety measures. On the other hand, the number of lactating cows, distance from water and proportion of milk consumed at home were found to be negatively associated with milk safety practices adopted. Conclusions The findings of the study suggest that strengthening food safety inspections at the farm and improving regulatory enforcement, disseminating food safety information through different outlets and location-specific interventions are important to improve the adoption of milk safety practices in Ethiopia.

This study investigated the critical issue of credit access and its implications for climate change adaptation among dairy farmers in East Java, Indonesia. Using survey cross-sectional data from a sample of 70 dairy farmers, this research employs a combination of probit modelling and propensity score matching (PSM) to examine the determinants of credit access and evaluate its impact on climate change adaptation. The findings indicate that credit access is positively and significantly associated with factors such as farming experience, family size, and the number of employed household members. These factors emerge as pivotal determinants shaping farmers' ability to secure credit. The analysis employing PSM further reveals a notable effect of credit access on climate change adaptation. Farmers with access to credit demonstrate a greater propensity to adopt and implement a greater number of climate change adaptation strategies. The positive association between credit access and climate change adaptation underscores the potential role of financial support in enhancing farmers' resilience to environmental challenges. This suggests that facilitating credit access for farmers could significantly contribute to promoting sustainable agricultural practices in the context of climate change. These findings have implications for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, and financial institutions. By leveraging these insights, targeted interventions can be devised to improve credit accessibility for farmers, thereby fostering effective climate change adaptation strategies within the agricultural sector.

Antibiotics have been used regularly in dairy farms by veterinarians; however, they were also used occasionally by farmers without any veterinary prescriptions. Because knowledge, attitude, and practice are important for sustainable antibiotic use, the levels of these aspects among farmers and associated factors should be determined to improve antibiotic use in dairy farming. The study was carried out in 89 Thai dairy farmers, using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The questions were scored and the total scores were calculated for each aspect. Factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were identified using the multivariate linear regression. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 62%, 86%, and 78%, respectively. Higher education, participation in a training related to antibiotic use, and being supervised by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Nong Pho were associated with a higher knowledge score (p < 0.050). Farmers with less experience received a higher attitude score (p = 0.020). Acquiring antibiotic knowledge from other farmers was associated with a lower practice score (p = 0.005). A positive association was found between knowledge and attitude scores (p = 0.021) and practice and attitude score (p < 0.001). Due to the insufficient knowledge on antibiotic use, there is a need to fill the gap to ensure prudent antibiotic use by farmers. Recommendations including training farmers by veterinarian to perceive the prudent antibiotic uses, encouraging young generation with higher education to participate in dairy farming, providing antibiotic use protocols, and decreasing the availability of antibiotics should be implemented to limit overuse by farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted in Udaipur district of Rajasthan state selected purposely keeping in view the fact that the district has highest population of livestock in southern Rajasthan. A sample of 120 respondents was selected for present study. The eight components of behaviour were undertaken to evaluate the status of entrepreneurial behaviour such as, innovativeness, achievement motivation, decision-making ability, risk-orientation, coordinating ability, planning ability, Cosmopolite outlook and self-confidence. The results revealed that majority of the respondents possessed medium level (64.17%) followed by low (13.33%) and high level (22.5%) of entrepreneurial behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calf rearing practices vary in different agroclimatic zones which affected by many factors. Poor management is related to disease outbreak and death in calves. To analyze the difference in rearing practices in different agroclimatic zones a survey was conducted in six districts of Rajasthan categorized into three different agroclimatic zones included Hyper arid partial irrigated zone of Bikaner and Jaisalmer districts (zone-I), Semi-arid eastern plain of Jaipur and Ajmer districts (zone-II) and Internal drainage of dry zone of Nagaur and Jhunjhunu districts (zone-III). A total of 540 dairy cattle farmers (180 from each zone) were interviewed by a pretested structured interview schedule.Majority (98.89%) of farmers feed colostrum to their calves at proper time but management practices like scientific care of naval cord, vaccination, deworming, feeding, and weaning were not followed on scientific scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost-effective methods are crucial in small-scale operations to assess the physicochemical properties of milk, identify potential clinical or subclinical mastitis, and test β-lactams in small ruminants. The aim was to evaluate the importance of physicochemical characteristics, somatic cells, and antibacterial substances as factors for monitoring the quality and safety of bulk tank milk from sheep and goats. Furthermore, we aimed to elucidate the influence of grazing capacity on the composition of sheep milk. The fat content of sheep milk (n=119) was found to be 7.7%, with a range of 5.3% to 9.9%. The average fat content of dairy goats (n=33) was found to be 4.9%, with a range of 2.8-6.7%. The results indicate that 2.8% of sheep milk samples and 7.8% of goat milk samples exhibited clear positive reactions when assessed using the California mastitis test. β-lactam antibiotics were present in 0.7% of sheep milk samples, but not in any of the goat milk samples using lateral flow strips. This measurement method can be useful to detect adulterated milk and better understand the quality and safety of small ruminant milk before processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Managing people outside the farm family unit is a new issue for many Irish dairy farmers. In the context of rapid growth, the demand for employees has increased, creating the need for Irish dairy farmers to have human resource management (HRM) skills. Aims: This paper explores the extent and type of HRM practices adopted by Irish dairy farmers and the factors that influence their adoption. Methods: A questionnaire was developed, piloted, and issued to farmers on the basis of herd size and location. Data from 203 dairy farmers who employ people were analysed to examine the adoption of different HRM practices and the influence of farm characteristics, farmer demographics and farmer attitudes on their adoption. HRM practices included compliance with employment legislation, health and safety, different approaches to recruitment, workforce management and retention. The questionnaire included one or more variables for each of these HRM practices. Where more than one variable was included, an aggregate variable was developed for that practice. Key results: Whereas, overall, there was a low level of adoption of best HRM practices, farm characteristics such as herd size and number of employees had a significant influence on farmers' adoption of compliance with employment legislation, health and safety, recruitment, workforce management and retention practices. Demographic factors such as age, level of education, and average hours worked influenced farmers compliance with employment law legislation, workforce management practices and retention practices. Conclusions: The study highlighted an overall low compliance with employment legislation and low adoption of best practices in managing staff among dairy farmers in Ireland. Implications: This study highlighted that improvement is needed in all areas of HRM on Irish dairy farms. The findings of this study would be useful to farm advisors who support dairy farmers in improving their management of their businesses. Overall, this study has contributed to a greater understanding of the challenges in managing people in agriculture and how certain factors influences the adoption of HRM practices on dairy farms. The dairy industry's recent growth in Ireland has resulted in a high demand for additional workers, increasing the requirement for farmers to be skilled in Human Resource Management (HRM). This study identified that the adoption of HRM practices is influenced by farm characteristics, in particular herd size, the number of employees on the farm. This study has contributed insights into the prevalence of specific HRM practices on Irish dairy farms, and indicated that there is a significant scope for improvement. A novel aspect of this study was the focus on the potential factors that influence the adoption of HRM practices on Irish dairy farms. The findings of this study could be used by agricultural advisors and those working in HRM to provide tailored advice to support dairy farmers and other small business owners in managing their employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Reducing antibiotic use in production animal systems is one strategy which may help to limit the development of antimicrobial resistance. To reduce antimicrobial use in food‐producing animals, it is important to first understand how antibiotics are used on farm and what barriers exist to decreasing their use. In dairy production systems, mastitis is one of the most common reasons for administering antimicrobials. Therefore, it is important to understand the motivations and behaviours of dairy farmers in relation to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mastitis. Materials and methods: In this study, we interviewed a sample of dairy farmers and dairy industry professionals from the major dairying regions of eastern Australia regarding their current practices used to diagnose, treat, and control subclinical and clinical mastitis. Inductive thematic analysis was used to code interview transcripts and identify the recurrent themes. Results: Four overarching themes were identified: (1) the challenges associated with the detection and diagnosis of clinical mastitis, including with laboratory culture, (2) the motivations behind treatment decisions for different cases, (3) decisions around dry cow therapy and the role of herd recording, and (4) concerns regarding the development of antimicrobial resistance. Discussion: This study identifies several challenges which may limit the ability of Australian dairy farmers to reduce antimicrobial use on farm, such as the need for rapid and reliable diagnostic tests capable of identifying the pathogenic causes of mastitis and the difficulties associated with conducting herd recording for the implementation of selective dry cow therapy. Industry professionals were concerned that farmers were not using individual cow records to aid in treatment decisions, which could result in unnecessary antimicrobial use. The results of this study can act as the basis for future research aimed at assessing these issues across the broader Australian dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy co-operatives provide a stable source of income for thousands of dairy farmers in Palakkad district of Kerala. The rural people are primarily involved in farming activities such as animal husbandry and dairying. The research was carried out with an objective to study the empowerment of dairy farmers who were members of dairy co-operatives in Palakkad district. The primary data were collected from 200 active members of the four dairy co-operatives, namely Moolathara milk producer’s co-operative society Ltd. No. P 65 (D), Kunnamkattupathy milk producer’s co-operative society Ltd. No. P 126 (D), Menonpara milk producer’s co-operative society Ltd. No. P 281 (D), and Attappadi milk producer’s co-operative society Ltd. No. P 558 (D). Structured interview schedule was used for data collection. The data were analyzed by using the index method.The selected dairy co-operatives in the Palakkad district play an important role in the economic, social, psychological, and political empowerment of its member dairy farmers. The dairy farmer members make significant contributions to dairy development in Palakkad. Their involvement in dairy farming is regarded as an important tool for alleviating poverty and improving the rural community’s quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kenyan dairy sector has economic potential to improve the welfare of rural households. However, the availability of feed resources, an essential input in dairy production, remains a significant constraint and is exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Using a sample of 665 dairy farmers from selected counties, this study assessed the determinants and impact of adoption of climate-smart feeding practices on milk productivity and output, dairy milk commercialization, and dairy and household income. The multinomial endogenous switching regression was used to account for self-selection bias from observable and non-observable factors. The study identified human and social capital, resource endowment, dairy feeding systems, the source of information about feeding practices, and perceived characteristics of these practices as factors that influenced the likelihood of adopting climate-smart feeding practices. The uptake of climate-smart fodder and feed concentrates together significantly increased milk productivity and output and dairy income. The uptake of climate-smart feed concentrates singly also increased dairy milk commercialization and household income. To facilitate the uptake of climate-smart feeding practices, pluralistic extension systems should be strengthened, practices made available, knowledge about climate change enhanced, and practice-oriented learning adopted. Further, the adoption of both climate-smart fodder and feed concentrates should be emphasized for improved household welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we review the Agrarian Question focusing on dairy farms. We have the dual aim of adding to the debate surrounding the economic profitability of small and large dairy farms and increasing what is known about the decline of dairy farms. The agrarian question at the heart of our research centres on the paradoxical endurance of family farms, despite predictions from both liberal and Marxist perspectives that they would diminish in number over time. By addressing these complex issues, we hope to shed light on the challenges and opportunities facing the dairy industry today. We focus on analysing dairy farms in the European Union countries, using panel regressions from 2008 to 2018 to define the relationship between the average number of cows per farm, profit margins and Farm Net Income. The most important results show that (i) paradoxically, profits were higher on smaller farms; (ii) however, empirical data show that small dairy farms are disappearing; (iii) this is because when including subsidies, farms with a higher number of cows are more profitable than smaller farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Buttermilk, a significant by-product of the dairy industry, is acknowledged as a beneficial food due to its content of water-soluble vitamins, polar lipids, and milk fat globule membranes. This research is focused on investigating the potential of buttermilk as a substitute in the production of a novel soft cheese type "camembert". Methods: A total of 12 cheese samples of camembert cheese, both with and without buttermilk, were prepared and subjected to a series of physico-chemical analyses in October 2023 to measure protein, fat, total solids, pH, and production yield. Texture Profile Analysis was applied to evaluate textural characteristics, and the microstructure was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy. A hedonic scale was employed in sensory evaluation to measure taste intensity. Results: The sample containing 90% cow's milk and 10% buttermilk exhibited the most significant (p=0.05) physico-chemical characteristics as production yield of 45.33%±0.710, protein content of 28.9%±0.58, fat content of 24.88%±0.026, total solids of 54.62±0.23, and a pH of 6.42±0.58. Sensory evaluations demonstrated that camembert samples containing buttermilk were distinguished by high sensory quality and satisfactory taste profiles. In addition, a dense and tightly fused protein matrix was observed in the microstructure of the buttermilk fortified cheese. The results also emphasized that the acidic nature of buttermilk significantly affected the production yield, total solids content, and textural characteristics, evidenced by a hardness of 3.36 N and fracturability of 1.75 N. Conclusion: The results validate the use of buttermilk as an effective alternative in the production of a new type of soft cheese, manifesting improved sensory, structural, and physico-chemical characteristics. This investigation supports the innovative utilization of buttermilk in cheese production, potentially offering a valuable avenue for dairy industry by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is representative of governance challenges relating to agricultural nonpoint source pollution and, more generally, of sustainable resources governance in complex multi-actor settings. We assess information flows around Best Management Practices (BMPs) undertaken by dairy farmers in central Pennsylvania, a subregion of the watershed. We apply a mixed-method approach, combining Social Network Analysis, the analysis of BMP-messaging (i.e. information source, flow, and their influences), and qualitative content analysis of stakeholders' interviews. Key strategic actors were identified through network centrality measures such as degree of node, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient. The perceived influence/credibility (by farmers) of BMP-messages and their source, allowed for the identification of strategic entry points for BMP-messages diffusion. Finally, the inductive coding process of stakeholders' interviews revealed major hindrances and opportunities for BMPs adoption. We demonstrate how improved targeting of policy interventions for BMPs uptake may be achieved, by better distributing entry-points across stakeholders. Our results reveal governance gaps and opportunities, on which we draw to provide insights for better tailored policy interventions. We propose strategies to optimize the coverage of policy mixes and the dissemination of BMP-messages by building on network diversity and actors' complementarities, and by targeting intervention towards specific BMPs and actors. We suggest that (i) conservation incentives could target supply chain actors as conservation intermediaries; (ii) compliance-control of manure management planning could be conducted by accredited private certifiers; (iii) policy should focus on incentivizing inter-farmers interaction (e.g. farmers' mobility, training, knowledge-exchange, and engagement in multi-stakeholders collaboration) via financial or non-pecuniary compensation; (iv) collective incentives could help better coordinate conservation efforts at the landscape or (sub-)watershed scale; (v) all relevant stakeholders (including farmers) should be concerted and included in the discussion, proposition, co-design and decision process of policy, in order to take their respective interests and responsibilities into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy farming is highly vulnerable to climate change in Pakistan; therefore, productivity and earnings of small dairy farmers are at a higher risk. Dairy farmers can reduce the determintal impacts of climate change on productivity and earnings by adaptation to climate change. It is thus critical to understand the adaptation to climate change among dariy farmers and consequent impacts on productivity and earnings. Using cross-sectional data of 450 dairy farmers from three different agroecological zones of Punjab, Pakistan, study has employed the logistic regression to determine determinants of adaptation and to analyze the adaptation impact on farm productivity and on earnings of the farmers. Educated and large farm size farmers are highly probable to adopting more adaptation measures compared to their counterparts. Estimates of PSM reveal that milk productivity and earings of adapters are higher than non-adapters. Regular vaccination found to be the most widely adopted strategy, which provides greater returns in terms of sustained milk prodction and improved dairy income. The research makes significant recommendations for adapting policies to climate change in dairy farming for improving well-being of rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed some serious economic challenges to the livestock sector globally. Reportedly, the COVID-19 related restrictions have resulted in decreased demand as well as prices for dairy products, resulting in substantial losses to the dairy sector. The present study was designed to investigate the COVID-19 effect on dairy farmers and the provision of public sector veterinary services in Pakistan. A cross-sectional tele-survey was conducted in two regions of Pakistan, i.e., Bahawalpur Division and Karachi dairy colonies. A total of 134 veterinary professionals and 218 farms (126 from Bahawalpur Division, 92 from Karachi) were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The collected information was analyzed using SPSS and Epi Info version 7.2. Majority of farmers from Bahawalpur Division reported a decrease in milk demand of 64% (81) after onset of COVID-19. Similarly, 88% (81) of the dairy colonies in Karachi also experienced the lockdown effect on sale of milk. Primarily, compromised prices, lower sales and sometimes complete lack of milk sales were the reasons for economic losses in Bahawalpur Division and Karachi region respectively. Furthermore, 16% of farmers reported selling animals, 14% stated considering to winding up business entirely, and 20% laid off employees. Merely 13% use their savings to cover their losses. Farmers unable to sell their entire milk yield used the milk to make value-added products like butter, ghee, and khoya, while other used it at home and calves' feed respectively. Farmers reported to compensating for the lower income either by taking loans, selling animals, and reducing the staff. Professionals from both regions reported compromised ability to provide veterinary services, including after-hours private practice (36%, 56%), the number of farmers visiting the veterinary hospitals (93%, 75%), and provision of (93%, 70%) extension services. However, there was a significant increase reported in telemedicine by 82% in Karachi and 63% in the Bahawalpur Division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]