Effects of cattle rustling and household characteristics on migration decisions and herd size amongst pastoralists in Baringo District, Kenya

Pastoral livestock production as a primary source of livelihood is increasingly becoming unsustainable due to the rapidly changing social context, perennial cattle rustling, unpredictable climatic conditions, and rapid population growth. Migration in response to these changes in social context has often increased competition for land and natural resources between the farmers and pastoralists. Using survey data from 1,750 agro-pastoral households, this study examines the impact of cattle rustling and relative deprivation on shaping the patterns of migration in Nigeria. The results of linear regression show that the loss of livestock, cattle rustling, income diversity, literacy, and herd size are significant determinants of migration patterns. These factors were instrumental in the households’ decision to migrate transitorily or permanently. While the findings indicate that relative deprivation is a significant push factor, migration in response to deprivation and cattle rustling may not necessarily decrease inequality due to weak social capital among the agro-pastoralists. In this sense, increasing pastoral social and economic capital is critical to the reduction of inequality and competition for natural capital. As such, rural livelihood enhancement intervention embedded within the context of a conflict mitigation mechanism is required to decrease the perceived relative deprivation.

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Sources and uses of information on a West Coast dairy farm

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2002.64.2460 ◽

2002 ◽

pp. 31-32

Author(s):

C. Van der Geest

Keyword(s):

Milk Production ◽

Time Pressure ◽

Data Gathering ◽

Technical Information ◽

Dairy Farm ◽

Farming System ◽

Herd Size ◽

Financial Benefit ◽

Nitrogen Response ◽

Directional Information

I am a 30-year-old sharemilker on my parent's 600 cow developing farm near Blackball on the western side of the Grey Valley. Earlier this year I competed in the National Young Farmer of the Year competition and finished a close third. So what is information? There are two types of information that I use. There is data gathered from my farm to help fine tune the running of the day to day operations on the farm And directional information This is the information that arrives in papers and directs the long-term direction and plans of the farm and farming businesses. Due to the variability in weather on the Coast there is a greater need to monitor and adjust the farming system compared to an area like Canterbury. This was shown last year (2001/02) when the farm was undergoing a rapid period of development and I was under time restraints from increasing the herd size, building a new shed as well as developing the farm. The results of the time pressure was that day to day information gathering was lower resulting in per cow production falling by 11% or around $182 per cow. So what information was lacking that caused this large drop in profit. • Pasture growth rates • Cow condition • Nitrogen requirements • Paddock performance • Milk production • Pre-mating heat detection As scientists and advisers I hear you say that it is the farmer's responsibility to gather and analyse this information. You have the bigger topics to research and discover, gene marking, improving pasture species, sexing of sperm and ideas that I have not even contemplated yet. This is indeed very valuable research. Where would farming be without the invention of electric fences, artificial breeding and nitrogen research? But my problem is to take a farm with below average production to the top 10% in production with the existing technology and farming principles. I have all the technical information I need at the end of a phone. I can and do ring my consultant, fertiliser rep, vet, neighbour and due to the size and openness of New Zealand science, at present if they do not know I can ring an expert in agronomy, nutrition, soils and receive the answer that I require. I hope that this openness remains as in a time of privatisation and cost cutting it is a true advantage. I feel that for myself the next leap in information is not in the growing of grass or production of milk but in the tools to collect, store and utilise that information. This being tied to a financial benefit to the farming business is the real reason that I farm. Think of the benefits of being able to read pasture cover on a motorbike instantly downloaded, overlaying cow intake with milk production, changes in cow weight, daily soil temperature and predicted nitrogen response. Telling me low producing cows and poor producing paddocks, any potential feed deficits or surpluses. This would be a powerful information tool to use. The majority of this information is already available but until the restraints of time and cost are removed from data gathering and storage, this will not happen.

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COST OF MILK PRODUCTION AND BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS OF MEMBER AND NON MEMBER OF DAIRY COOPERATIVE SOCIETY FOR MILCH ANIMALS (COW & BUFFALO) IN DISTRICT ETAWAH OF U.P.

JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN AGRICULTURE ◽

10.24297/jaa.v2i1.4251 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 30-37

Author(s):

Ashish Chandra ◽

Dr. A. K. Dubey ◽

Dr. Sachin Kumar Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Milk Production ◽

Herd Size ◽

Total Cost ◽

Minimum Quantity ◽

Cooperative Society ◽

Point Analysis ◽

Large Herd ◽

Breakeven Point

This study covered 150 cooperative member milk producers and 150 non-member milk producers which were post- stratified into Landless, Marginal, small, medium and large herd size categories. Breakeven point is a point where no profit no loss status achieved where MR = MC. In this study breakeven point analysis was done to estimate the minimum quantity milk to be produced to cover the total cost on all categories (members and nonmembers) of households of milch animals (Cow and buffalo). And also in this study the researchers have find out the Total cost of milk production per liter for member and non member categories. This study is helpful to find out the total cost of milk production in all categories as well as members and nonmembers of dairy cooperative society are able to find out the breakeven point of the whole business.

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Immunodetection of Ostertagia ostertagi in Cattle Milk Samples in Wasit Province

Journal of Education College Wasit University ◽

10.31185/eduj.vol1.iss28.29 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (28) ◽

pp. 637-648

Author(s):

Abbas Hassan Khlaty Al-Sray

Keyword(s):

Milk Production ◽

Herd Size ◽

Elisa Test ◽

Production Factor ◽

Size Factor ◽

Ostertagia Ostertagi ◽

Milk Samples ◽

Management Group ◽

Breed Group ◽

Age Factor

The aim of present study was to detect the seroprevalence of Ostertagia ostertagi specific antibodies in cattle milk samples in Wasit province, by using the indirect ELISA test for first time in Iraq. For this purpose, an overall 368 dairies cow was submitted for study and the results were revealed that 51 (13.86 %) of tested cows were positive, and the mean optic density ratios (ODRs) of ELISA test values in seropositive cattle were 0.58. Also, this study aimed to investigate an association of seropositive results with some epidemiological risk factors. Hence, the positive results, according to these factors, were as follow: in milk production factor, 6.32 % for ³18 liters/day group, 14.29 % for ³10-18 liters/day group, and 25 % for < 10 liters/day group; in age factor, 13.41% for ³3-6 years group, and 14.75% for >6 years group; in breed factor, 18.27% for local breed group, 12.17% for cross-breed group, and 12% for pure breed group; in farm management factor, 21.35% for bad management group, and 5.68% for good management group; and in herd size factor, 11.59% for <25 (cow/herd) group, and 17.78% for ³ 25 (cow/herd) group. Statistically, the significant differences (P£ 0.05) were observed among related groups of milk production, breed, husbandry management, and herd size factors; while it’s not reported among groups of age factor.

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The Limitations of Wintering Away From Customary Pastures in Relation to Dzud in Mongolia's Gobi Region

Nomadic Peoples ◽

10.3197/np.2020.240105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 86-110

Author(s):

Annika Ericksen

Keyword(s):

Expert Knowledge ◽

Ethnographic Research ◽

Heavy Snowfall ◽

Variable Environment ◽

Migration Decisions ◽

Complicating Factors ◽

High Uncertainty

This article, based on ethnographic research in a Gobi district in Mongolia, focuses on herders 'wintering away' from customary winter campsites to access better pasture elsewhere. Because of the drawbacks associated with wintering at non-customary as opposed to 'home' pastures, many herders consider 'wintering away' to be a last resort. In the 2009–10 dzud (winter disaster), in Bayanlig soum, most households that wintered away were hit by unusually heavy snowfall and suffered higher livestock losses than those households that stayed at their customary campsites. While herders' migration decisions are guided by expert knowledge of the environment, complicating factors and high uncertainty can contribute to livestock losses despite their best efforts. Mobility is essential to herders' success in a variable environment, but not all forms and instances of migration are equally beneficial. This article draws on herders' accounts to explore a migration dilemma in the Gobi that may become more common.

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