​​Effect of Farm Categories on Quality and Quantity of Milk Produced by Different Crosses of Holstein-Friesian Cows

Background: Farmers are not satisfied by the production performance of different crossbred Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Therefore, the study was taken to find out the effect of farm categories on milk yield and milk constituents of different HF crossbred at Chattogram, Bangladesh. Methods: This study was conducted from July 2014 to June 2015 in Chattogram Metropolitan Area (CMA), Potia, Mirsharai and Fatikchari upazilla (sub-district) of Chittagong, Bangladesh. For this study fourteen (14) commercial dairy farms in three different categories as A (50 greater than milking cows), B (31 greater than 50 milking cows) ,C (11 greater than 30 milking cows) with 98 cows for each of the 3 crosses named as 50%HF×50% Local (L), 75%HF×25%L and 50%HF×50% Sahiwal (SH) at their third parity were selected. Farms under the same category were selected based on similarities in feeding and other management practices. Quality of raw milk was obtained by analyzing the milk samples collected from an individual animal of the selected farm at an interval of seven days by using a milk scanner (Lactostar, Model no. 3510, Funke Gerber, Germany) in the Laboratory of Dairy Science of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU). Result: A significant difference (P less than 0.05) in milk yield and constituents except lactose and minerals was observed among the same and different crossbreds of HF under different farm categories. The highest daily average milk yield and quality were observed in different crosses of farms belong category A, but their performances decreased gradually with poor management systems in farms belong to categories B and C. So, farm category has a significant effect on milk quality and quantity in different crosses of Holstein. This study would help the commercial dairy farmers in choosing suitable crosses of Holstein-Friesian for farms belong to different categories.

Livestock Holding and Time Spent by Farm Women in Dairying Activities in Andhra Pradesh

A study was conducted to investigate the involvement of women in dairying activities in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The study involved a total of 225 respondents covering 75 villages. The result revealed that small farm women possessed significantly (P≤0.05) more graded Murrah buffaloes (3.68±0.28), whereas women under medium farm category possessed significantly (P≤0.05) more number of local cows (0.28±0.07), Murrah buffaloes (0.45±0.21) as well as more (P≤0.01) buffalo heifers (1.22±0.14). The milk production (litres per day) (13.25±0.80), consumption (1.48±0.06) and milk consumption by women (0.16±0.07) was observed to be high in medium women dairy farmers in the study area. Milk sale per day was observed to be significantly (P≤0.05) high in small farmers (14.20±1.90). Small farm women (587.00±81.70) obtained more income (rupees/day) through dairying followed by medium (516.34±54.35) and landless (385.66±32.39) farm women. It was observed that women are spending more time on dairy activities in the study area compared to men. The time spent was more on feeding activities.

Typologie des exploitations agricoles : caractérisation et accès aux services agricoles au Bénin (Afrique de l’Ouest)

Le secteur agricole constitue un levier très important du développement de l’économie béninoise. Il est dominé par la présence d’exploitations agricoles qui mènent plusieurs activités. L’objectif de cette étude était de caractériser ces exploitations agricoles et d’analyser leurs accès aux services agricoles au Bénin. Les données ont été collectées à l’aide des questionnaires et de guide d’entretien auprès d’un échantillon de 4880 exploitions agricoles. L’analyse typologique a été faite à l’aide d’une classification ascendante hiérarchique et d’une analyse en composantes principales. L’analyse du taux d’accès des exploitants agricoles aux services agricoles a été faite grâce aux statistiques descriptives et au calcul de pourcentage dans des tableaux croisés. L’analyse des variances a permis d’analyser les variations des taux d’accès des services agricoles entre les classes d’exploitations agricoles. Les résultats de l’étude ont montré qu’il existe trois catégories d’exploitations agricoles au Bénin. Il s’agit des gros agriculteurs (27,91%), des agriculteurs moyens (21,45%) et les petits agriculteurs qui sont majoritairement représentés (50,64%). L’appartenance à l’un ou l’autre des groupes d’exploitation est déterminée par la superficie des champs, le nombre d’actifs agricoles, l’utilisation de la traction motorisée, de la traction animale, le nombre de têtes de bovins, etc. L’analyse du taux d’accès des exploitations agricoles aux services agricoles a révélé que ces taux varient d’une catégorie d’exploitation à une autre. Cette étude permettra aux décideurs politiques de définir et bien orienter les politiques de recherches développement vers les acteurs du monde rural. The agricultural sector is a very important lever for the development of the Beninese economy. It is dominated by the presence of farms that carry out several activities. The objective of this study was to characterize these farms and to analyze their access to agricultural services in Benin. Data were collected using questionnaires and interview guides from a sample of 4880 farms. The cluster analysis was done using an ascending hierarchical classification and principal component analysis. The analysis of the access rate of farmers to agricultural services was made through descriptive statistics and percentage calculation in cross tables. The analysis of variances was used to analyze the variations in the rates of access to agricultural services between the classes of agricultural holdings. The results of the study showed that there are three categories of farms in Benin. These are large farmers (27.91%), medium farmers (21.45%) and small farmers who are mostly represented (50.64%). Membership in one or another of the farming groups is determined by the area of the fields, the number of agricultural workers, the use of motorized traction, animal traction, the number of heads of cattle. , etc. Analysis of the access rate of farms to agricultural services revealed that these rates vary from one farm category to another. This study will enable political decision-makers to define and properly orient development research policies towards actors in the rural world.

Use of Clean Energy in On-Farm Livelihood Security

Livelihood security in rural areas can be broadly divided into three categories based on land use as primary criterion. Livelihood such as agricultural production depends on land. All such predominantly land dependent activities are covered under on-farm livelihood options. These include cultivation of paddy, wheat, vegetables, etc. Those livelihood activities that do not require cultivation but are of manufacturing or service category are called non-farm activities. These include input and output services for agriculture, agro-processing, transport, education, health, warehousing, retailing, etc. There are some activities which do not require large amount of land ownership are covered under off-farm category. These include goatery, poultry, fishery, dairy, etc. They may require access to pasture for grazing, which can be part of community or forest land. On the basis of livelihood activities practiced by households in rural areas the clean energy requirement will vary. Current study emphasizes on successful development of solar operative irrigation appliances mounted over bi-cycle. On farm use of one such case study has been deliberated from rural areas of South Odisha where the diffusion of clean energy products has taken place.

A Study on Farming Conditions and Production Performance of Available Genotypes under Commercial Dairying of Chittagong Bangladesh

Background: There are no in-depth research on commercial dairying management and performance of dairy cows under commercial dairying in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The good farming practice and cow’s productivity leads the farm profitability. This study may assist to overcome the problems related to the profitability of dairy farms.Methods: The study was conducted in 28 commercial dairy farms based on two types of data. Primary data: generated from stock inventory and farm management information using a pretested survey questionnaire and analyzed data of average production performance and quality of milk traits indifferent crosses collected directly four times season wise (summer, monsoon and winter) from each selected farms of Chittagong, Bangladesh from 2014 to 2015.Result: Overall management system of irrespective categories of farms was in moderate condition with some exception. Highest number of milking animal was 50% HF × 50% L cross under all farm categories. Crosses of 75% HF × 25% L were highest in number under farm category A and lowest C. In terms of milk quality and quantity, farms with higher number of animals were in better condition. Daily average milk yield was significantly higher in monsoon followed by summer and winter. Therefore, this current study would be helpful for the dairy farmers to find out an expected solution to overcome the problems in this sector.

Economic Analysis and Mechanization Index of Agricultural Crops in Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh

Economic analysis of agricultural mechanization in mid-hill zone of Himachal Pradesh was conducted in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The results revealed that the mechanization index at the overall farm category was 0.26, which varied from 0.21 to 0.53 among different categories of farms. The highest (0.53) farm mechanization index was found in medium farms and the lowest (0.21) in marginal farms. It can further be observed that the coefficient of variation was highest (39.00 %) in marginal farms and lowest (6.52 %) in medium farms. At the overall level, 46.15 percent variation was found in farm mechanization.

Factors Determining the Development of Small Farms in Central and Eastern Poland

The agrarian structure in Poland is dominated by small farms; the large share of these is a result of historical consequences. The economy has pushed small farms toward economic efficiency, which in farming often translates into increasing the scale of production. The primary objective of this research was to present the directions of the changes in the number of small farms in Central and Eastern Poland and to indicate the factors determining their functioning and development. The research was based on a random sample selection from rural municipalities, villages and small farms. The researchers collected 19 completed surveys from municipal agricultural officers, 75 surveys from village mayors and 116 surveys from small and active farms. The data from the farm surveys was analysed using k-mean cluster analyses and the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to distinguish farms into homogenous groups. Three types of farms were identified: “hobby”, “two-occupation” and “professional” farms. The research shows that in the municipalities of Central and Eastern Poland, the number of landowners (over 1 ha of arable land) paying agricultural tax increased by 9% between 2005 and 2017. A significant gap was identified between the number of “official farmers” and “active” farmers. In the farm category surveyed, “active” farmers numbered only 33% of all farming entities. The surveys confirmed that the development of small farms is particularly influenced by external factors (EU funding; national benefits), rather than internal (entrepreneurial) factors. An in-depth survey of farmers, municipal agricultural officers and village mayors shows that “professional” farmers (Cluster 0) are expected to invest, develop and innovate. Farmers managing “hobby” and “two-occupation” farms have a reserved attitude towards investment and their objective is to maximise the benefits related to the arming status. In the authors’ opinions, “professional” farms have the highest probability of being economically viable, while others tend to focus on the provision of public goods related to financial support.

Income and Expenditure Pattern of Marginalised Categories of Rural Punjab

ABSTRACT TThe present study was undertaken to examine the income and expenditure pattern of marginalized categories in rural Punjab. The data were collected from 120 households consisting of agricultural labour, marginal and small farmers of Amritsar and Ludhiana districts. It was concluded that income and expenditure pattern was directly related to farm-size. As the farm size increased the farm expenditure also increased. The proportion of deficit households was more in the agricultural labour category due to their low incomes. In the small farm category, the proportion of deficit households was more as compared to the marginal farm category on account of higher expenditure on non-food items and social ceremonies.

The changing nature of dairy production in Victoria, Australia: are we ready to handle the planning and development of large, intensive dairy operations?

Around the world, dairy production continues to intensify, with farmers increasing stocking rates, feeding more supplements, and transitioning into fully housed systems. Dairy production in Victoria is no exception and farmers are starting a move towards intensive (i.e. permanently housed) dairy operations. Challenges associated with these transformations have included difficulties, or failure, to obtain planning approval and public concern around the effect of intensive developments on environmental degradation, animal welfare and industry image. We examined current land-use planning provisions, environmental requirements, animal-welfare regulations, industry guidelines and codes of practice for their applicability and suitability to the implementation of intensive dairy-production operations, particularly large-scale ones, in Victoria, Australia. Our aim was to clearly identify factors that have the potential to hinder the growth and expansion of existing dairy-production systems into intensive operations, and the establishment of new intensive dairy enterprises. The majority of legislation examined posed no obstacles to the development of large-scale intensive dairy operations. New definitions for intensive livestock production and the inclusion of an intensive dairy-farm category in the State planning provisions will reduce current confusion across and within planning departments. A standard methodology to determine separation distances is required and a code for intensive dairy farming would greatly assist with the planning-approval process. Many advisory publications fall short when applied to intensive dairy operations as they are currently written for pasture-based farms with limited infrastructure for regularly feeding or housing large herds of >700 cows.

Influence of socio-demographic factors on mobile phone adoption in rural Bangladesh: Policy implications

Access to information and communication technology (ICT) has been considered crucial to alleviate poverty and improve food security of rural households. The mobile phone is an ICT that is widely used by rural households in developing countries. This study examines the determinants of mobile phone adoption using survey data of vulnerable rural households in Bangladesh, a developing country; the study empirically assesses the income hypothesis of mobile phone adoption in particular. Four alternative specifications of the model are developed to test the stability and robustness of the estimates. The study finds rural households have heterogeneous access to ICT such as radio, TV, computer and the Internet except mobile phone. Our estimated Gini coefficient indicates high income inequality among the rural households. The model results suggest that household income positively influences mobile phone adoption. However, the impact is not statistically significant. Other factors such as respondents’ age, education and farm category are statistically significant influences on mobile phone adoption. An increasing use of mobile phones is likely to enhance the sharing of valuable information among rural households for the better management of their livelihoods and improved farming decisions.