Factors affecting adoption of economic management practices in beef cattle production in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil

Beef cattle production in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, faces serious challenges due to low profitability and competition for alternative land uses. Despite this, many farmers have not yet adopted economic management practices as a support tool to enhance the competitiveness of their farms, due to differences related to lifestyle, values, customs, traditions and personal goals. We interviewed 73 farmers in order to understand the factors affecting the adoption of such practices. A probit model was estimated to identify farmers' characteristics, access to information, and production and economic characteristics that affect the adoption of economic management practices. Farmers with large landholdings and diversified production are less likely to adopt such practices. On the other hand, a number of factors, such as Internet access, participation in farmer associations, receiving technical assistance, number of cows bred annually, weaning rate greater than 70%, and utilization of the birth to slaughter system, positively affect the probability of adoption. Considering that few workshops and training programs on farm management are offered to farmers, the information presented in this study might be useful to motivate the development of extension programs, which take into account farmers' characteristics and, thus, achieve better results in terms of dissemination of economic management techniques.</p

Avaliação sensorial de carne bovina e bubalina de animais criados a pasto e sua relação com as características sociodemográficas dos consumidores

Sensory characteristics of meat from different animal types, including cattle (Angus and Brangus) and buffalo raised at pasture, and information on socio-demographic determinants of consumer preference were evaluated. Samples of roasted rib eye were cut and served in a disordered and monadic manner to 188 untrained tasters. A nine-point hedonic scale was used to assess odor, color, tenderness, succulence and overall appearance. Analysis of variance was carried out using the GLM procedure of SAS®, considering animal type and socio-demographic characteristics as fixed effects and using the LSMEANS procedure for multiple mean comparisons. Differences (P < 0.001) between animal types were observed only for tenderness, with Brangus (7.02) and buffalo (6.82) meat being superior to Angus (6.25). Regardless of meat origin, age, income, smoking and place of purchase affected the perceived attributes (P < 0.05). People aged over 50 years gave higher mean scores for odor and color (P < 0.05), indicative of greater satisfaction and less demanding tastes when compared to other age categories. Despite the variability in the intrinsic characteristics, differentiation of meat by the consumer is not easy to determine, with little impact of sociodemographic characteristics on organoleptic perception. Meat from Brangus cattle and buffaloes raised at pasture was considered tenderer than that from Angus cattle raised under the same conditions by an untrained taste panel compared with.Avaliaram-se as características sensoriais da carne de diferentes espécies (bovina e bubalina) e raças (Angus e Brangus) criadas a pasto (campo nativo), além dos determinantes sociodemográficos de preferência dos consumidores, através de painel sensorial. Amostras de Longíssimus dorsi foram assadas, cortadas e servidas de forma desordenada e monádica a 188 painelistas não-treinados sediados no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Foi utilizada uma escala hedônica de nove pontos para avaliar os atributos odor, cor, maciez, suculência e aparência global. Através do procedimento GLM - SAS® realizou-se a análise de variância, considerando as características sensoriais e sociodemográficas como fatores fixos. Quando o fator apresentou efeito significativo (P < 0,05), foi utilizado LSMEANS para comparação entre as médias. Foi encontrada diferença (P < 0,001) somente para o atributo maciez, com as carnes de bovinos da raça Brangus e de bubalinos apresentando maior grau, com 7,02 e 6,82, respectivamente, quando comparados com a de bovinos da raça Angus (6,25). Independente da origem da carne, a idade, a renda, o hábito de fumar e o local de compra dos consumidores foram determinantes para parte dos atributos avaliados (P < 0,05). Pessoas com idade superior a 50 anos conferiram escores médios superiores (5,86 e 7,36 para odor e cor, respectivamente; P < 0,05), indicativo de maior grau de satisfação e menor exigência, quando comparados às outras categorias de idade. Apesar da variabilidade nas características intrínsecas, a diferenciação da carne pelo consumidor é abstrusa, havendo pequeno impacto dos aspectos sociodemográficos nos atributos sensoriais. As carnes de bovinos Brangus e de bubalinos criados extensivamente apresentaram maior maciez que a de bovinos Angus criados no mesmo sistema

Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics on calves’ sale price on the western border of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

<div><p>ABSTRACT: The demand for beef cattle with specific traits is evident from sales in auctions. While purchasing, buyers consider individual traits (e.g., muscularity, frame, racial composition, and weight) as predictors of quality, and adjust their bids according to their preferences. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of phenotypic and racial characteristics in determining the final sale price of calves of beef cattle in official auctions at the western border of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Five-hundred and seven lots of calves sold in calf auctions from five cities on the western border of Rio Grande do Sul were evaluated. The assignment of visual scores was based on their genetic group, frame, muscularity, and coat. Analysis of variance and the Tukey test at 5% significance level were performed for comparing the final average prices. Variables with the greatest impact on price were the genetic group and the size of the animals. Animals of synthetic breeds obtained higher value in the three years studied and animals without racial definition showed considerable devaluation and a decrease in supply. Larger animals had less value.</p></div

Genetic trends for mature body weight, visual scores, and growth traits in Nellore cattle

ABSTRACT: Mature weight (MW) of cows is related to the costs of their production. Usually, cows with moderate MW are more efficient in challenging environments, such as those available in the production systems in Brazil. In the present study, the selection index comprises the following traits: conformation, finishing precocity, musculature at weaning (WC, WP, WM) yearling (YC, YP and YM), scrotal circumference at yearling (SC), days to gain 160kg from birth to weaning (D160) and 240kg after weaning (D240). This are related to birth weight gain at weaning (WG) and from weaning to yearling (YG). The mature (MW) and birth weight (BW) traits were not considered in the selection index. The aim of this study was to estimate the values for the genetic trends (GT) of some important selection (MW) and economic traits (BW). A bi-character analysis of MW and other characteristics was performed to estimate the (co)variance components and genetic parameters. The GT results obtained for MW were null (0.0065% or 0.02718kg per year) in the period 1990-2007. The GT values were determined for BW (-0.0650% or -0.02017kg), WG (0.0758% or 0.0865kg), YG (0.1051% or 0.11377kg), and MW (0.0393% or 0.11276kg) per year. The visual score values (in score units) were also determined for GTat weaning [WC (0.2310%; 0.00707), WP (0.3624%; 0.3623%),aWM (0.01149; 0.01087)] yearling [YC (0.3256%; 0.00990), YP (0.4795%; 0.01496),YM (0.5041%; 0.01457)] per year. Index-based selection was effective to promote genetic progress in WG, WC, WP, WM, YG, YC, YP, and YM characteristics keeping BW and MW constant