Integration of production and financial models to analyse the financial impact of livestock diseases: a case study of Schmallenberg virus disease on British and French dairy farms

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the financial impact of Schmallenberg disease for different dairy production types in the United Kingdom and France. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Integrated production and financial models for dairy cattle were developed and applied to Schmallenberg virus (SBV) disease in a British and French context. The five main production systems that prevail in these two countries were considered. Their respective gross margins measuring the holding's profitability were calculated based on public benchmarking, literature and expert opinion data. A partial budget analysis was performed within each production model to estimate the impact of SBV in the systems modelled. Two disease scenarios were simulated: low impact and high impact. RESULTS: The model gross margin obtained per cow space and year ranged from £1014 to £1484 for the UK and from £1037 to £1890 for France depending on the production system considered. In the UK, the net SBV disease costs in £/cow space/year for an average dairy farm with 100 milking spaces were estimated between £16.3 and £51.4 in the high-impact scenario and between £8.2 and £25.9 in the low-impact scenario. For France, the net SBV disease costs in £/cow space/year ranged from £19.6 to £48.6 in the high-impact scenario and £9.7 to £22.8 in the low-impact scenario, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study illustrates how the combination of production and financial models allows assessing disease impact taking into account differing management and husbandry practices and associated price structures in the dairy sector. It supports decision-making of farmers and veterinarians who are considering disease control measures as it provides an approach to estimate baseline disease impact in common dairy production systems in the UK and France

Farming styles and cooperatives disputes of swine farmers under economic pressure in southern France

In Southern France, the regression of swine farms and swine is ongoing. It involves reorientation of socio-professional networks, especially the farmers’ cooperatives. For understanding the various ways of maintaining swine production under the regressive circumstances, we focus on the farmers’ initiatives and motivations for cooperative action. This article is build upon an inquiry of the diversity in swine farming strategies and styles in a production basin in regression: the departments Lot, Aveyron and Tarn in Midi Pyrenees, Southern France. We studied the motivations for the modes of farm management and the search for support from cooperatives, including the ambitions for product diversification. The survey consisted of 30 semistructured interviews, followed by 90 structured questionnaires. The diversity in farming styles is explained by local opportunities and contrasts in socio-professional integration in farmers’ cooperatives

Modelling complex livestock-agricultural systems at a regional scale : A case study in La Reunion

Réunion Island, situated in the Indian Ocean, presents a unique case study to model regional bio-economic parameters of the dairy industry. It is a good example of a closed system for movement of animals, available labour, consumption of products, and available land. The present study models the dairy sector at a regional (island) level, in close collaboration with key stakeholders, to study the impact of new agricultural policies in terms of changes to subsidy norms, price fluctuations and environment, with reference to nitrogen excess. The model can be used to generate a number of scenarios, to explore the effects of various industry controls, such as fixing the stocking rate according to EU norms, increasing or reducing the milk subsidy, intensification (such as an increase in milk production to 40 million litres per year) and labour and price constraints (such as an increase or reduction in the milk price or a reduction in labour hours). The model is being consulted by the local dairy cooperative as a discussion support tool at a regional scale to look at implications of expanding the sector and its economic, environmental and social impact. (Résumé d'auteur

Corepig, final report of WP3: Development and evaluation of a HACCP based surveillance and management system

Organic farmer repeatedly face problems with suckling piglet mortality, weaning diarrhoea, en-doparasites and farrowing/reproduction. These problems are multifactorial, they are caused by many factors whereby the key factors often differ from farm to farm. Thus, it was the aim of the 3rd work package of Corepig to develop a management tool based on the HACCP (hazard anal-ysis critical control points) principle, which can be used by farmers, advisers and veterinarians to solve health problems on organic pig farms. Several teams of experts for organic pig production including advisers and researchers created four risk assessment protocols, one each for suckling piglet mortality, weaning diarrhoea, endo-parasites and farrowing/reproduction problems. As the lists of possible risk factors are long and complex, the assessment protocols were incorporated into semi-automated MS Excel® files. The tools were tested on 32 farms in Austria, Denmark, France and Germany, where risks for the four problem areas could but reduced on 72% of farms. Farmers as well as advisers acknowledged the HACCP based management tools as valuable helps for organic pig produc-tion. The revised tools and their descriptions can be downloaded from the project homepage at http://www.coreorganic.org/research/projects/corepig/index.html (to be launched 01.09.2011)

Development of breeding schemes in overseas regions: the case of goats for meat production in the Reunion Island

In the French island of Reunion, (Indian Ocean, 800,000 inhabitants), 37,600 goats are reared mainly for meat production. Farming systems are very diverse but they still constitute a secondary activity generating an income supplement. The herds are genetically very heterogeneous and derive from crossbreeding between land race goat (Cabri Péi), endangered species, and exotic races (Saanen, Boer, Alpine). Goat meat is highly appreciated in Reunion. 700 to 800 tons of goat meat are imported each year. To increase local production, breeders are primarily oriented to the Boer goat. This specialized breed meat is present for several decades. Any importation of ruminants is however suspended for health reasons. So, Farmers decide to develop a breeding scheme based on artificial insemination. Research, development and selection institutions work with breeders to define Boer dam's standard, so that the race is officially recognized in France. The selection scheme aims to improve meat production. Evaluation of the animals is based on a grid developed by the people involved in goat production sector. The evaluation grid is currently tested on 450 crossbred females. These females are inseminated artificially with boer goat semen produced by Capgimes, the single French National Centre of production of buck seeds. The assessment skills are suitable both for males and females and give a judgment on the characters of race (9 positions) and functional (11 positions). Race characters therefore account for 75% of the final score. At the same time 8 morpho-biometric measurements are performed to characterize the goats that will form part of the basis for selection. Insemination protocols are tested and validated over a period of three years. In France, there is not a certified performance testing for goat meat production; so we adapt the method and the tool developed for mutton sheep. The objective is to characterize 1,400 goats to select 1,000 for the basis of selection. We have developed tools to enable the implementation of the schema of the Boer Dam selection. However we must still specify measurable and quantifiable objectives of selection. (Résumé d'auteur