Contest| "Living in the Agricultural World #6"

Greetings everyone .

[Design using canva.]

What are diary farmers doing to make their farms more sustainable?

A range of strategies are currently being adopted by the producers within the dairy production system to enhance sustainability and some of these practices includes,

1. Efficient water usage: Milk producers are using water conservation measures like using drip irrigation and using reclaimed water in the production of their dairy produce.

2. Renewable energy: Most dairy farms today are changing from conventional sources of energy to renewable energy systems including solar power, wind power, and biogas plants.

3. Nutrient management: Benchmark Hunters are using precision farming to ensure there is efficiency when applying fertilizers in the field this helps in preventing nutrient pollution of water.

4. Crop rotation and cover crops: It is beneficial for dairy farmers to change crops and plant cover crops, that way the health of the soil can greatly be improved and there will be lesser erosion and chemical fertilizers used.

Explain what the diary farmers do with all the cow's manure?

Dairy farmers employ various strategies they use cow manure for efficient use of the wastes and it can be used to cultivate crops by using fertilizer produced from the manure collected for animals by composting them and another type of farmers also utilize manure for energy production by fermentation, producing biogas for electricity and heat. Also it can be used as fodder for the cattle as a source of bedding or sold to farmers who do gardening and landscaping for manure so dairy farmers employ various measures and strategies in manners to recycle cow manure sustainably an added advantage to their businesses and the environment.

In details, explain what happens when a diary cow gets sick and what food do they eat?

Source

The common diseases that affect a dairy cow include mastitis, which causes reduced milk yield, anorexia, and poor mobility; Progressive rectal palpableotomy, which leads to decreased milk production, inappetence, respiratory problems, diarrhea, and lameness.

And the first action which is often taken is to quarantine the sick cow to avoid spreading disease to the other cattle in severe cases an animal may need to be treated by a veterinarian who will decide on the sickness and recommend on the best way to handle it which may include administering some drugs, making the animal rest among others.

In this line of thinking the diet usually needed by sick dairy cows is foods that are easy on their digestion as they need some form of quality nutrition so as to be able to recover soon so this may required include feed such as quality hay, fresh grass, grains and even commercially available feed that is reserved for ailing or recuperating cows. Sometimes the cow may also require supplements or electrolytes to prevent dehydration and to meet all the nutrient requirements. It also important preparation to feed that cow correctly to enhance it energy and overall health plus production.

Do you think diary farming is good for the economy? Explain.

I think dairy farming can have both positive and negative impacts on the economy but it's depending on various factors like,

1. Positive Impacts:
   • Employment: Bulk chocolate production has employment impacts both directly in the dairy farming sector and indirectly in the transport, processing and sale of food stuffs.

Source

• **Contribution to GDP:Businessmen within the dairy value chain can participate in the sale of dairy products that make up the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country.

• Exports: Most countries depend on dairy products export as an economic tool to sell the dairy products in other countries.

• Support for Rural Economy: Dairy farming as a sector has the added advantage of propping up rural income and consumption.

1. Negative Impacts:
   • Environmental Concerns: This form of dairy farming is associated with water pollution, increased emission of green house gases and deforestation.
   • Health Costs: There are skeptics who promote the opinion concerning negative influence of dairy products for the health of a person and the growth of costs of medical services.
   • Animal Welfare: Politicians often fear controversies regarding animal rights in commercial dairy farming hence realizing its impact on the image of the industry.

So the economic contribution of dairy farming greatly depends on the kind of management, control mechanisms and how it is infused into the economy.

Thanks for reading my post I'm inviting @abdullahw2, @okere-blessing and @joymm to participate in this contest .

Cc:
@ninapenda