Cattle Breeding Farm Research Articles

Disruptive production process innovation for sustainable business: evidence from an emerging economy

PurposeThe study aimed to develop a disruptive production process innovation model from an emerging economy's agro-based dairy farming perspective based on the case of a Bangladeshi model dairy farm named Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm (CBBDF), Savar, Dhaka.Design/methodology/approachThe study used qualitative in-depth interviews, participants and document observation. Around 20 key informants were purposefully selected from the case organization.FindingsThe findings propose two different models for disruptive production process innovation toward sustainable agribusiness dairy farming from an emerging economy perspective and the modified process model from traditional dairy farms to modern dairy based on the stakeholders' (such as consumers, owners, managers and government) demand.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to develop a disruptive production process innovation and technology model for the dairy industry and its stakeholders' responsibilities from the experience of an emerging economy. The value of the research is in identifying factors under traditional dairy farming that need to be reduced and eliminated, and the factors under society, health concerns and value-added to existing farms need to be raised as per the global industry standard.

Identification of Brucella spp. in Aborted Fetuses by Guineapig inoculation

Abstract Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease which is endemic in Bangladesh. The prevalence of bovine brucellosis in subsistence management system in Bangladesh is low. However, the prevalence of bovine brucellosis at Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm (CCBDF) is reported to be very high and Brucella abortus DNA has also been detected from cows’ milk of this farm. The principal manifestation of bovine brucellosis is abortion in pregnant cows, which is common at CCBDF. The role of brucellosis in abortion at CCBDF has not been ascertained. Hence, this study was undertaken to confirm Brucella spp. as the etiology of abortion in cows at CCBDF. Materials and Methods: Aborted fetal membranes and vaginal swabs from 3 cows, in which late abortion occurred, were collected aseptically from the CCBDF. The samples were initially stained with modified Zeihl-Neelsen staining method. The stain-positive samples were ground individually using a pestle and mortar, and a homogenized mixture was prepared by adding normal saline. Two milliliters of the homogenate from each sample were inoculated subcutaneously into a guinea pig. The sera of guinea pigs were collected after 3rd week of inoculation to perform rose Bengal test (RBT) and rapid antibody test (RAT). Result: Samples from two cows showed positive staining result in which numerous pink-colored coccobacilli were seen. All the sera collected were tested positive for both RBT and RAT. It is evident from this study that three of two abortions at CCBDF were due to brucellosis. Conclusion: Guineapig inoculation technique could be used as a good alternative of culture for confirming the diagnosis of brucellosis from contaminated clinical samples like placenta.

Prediction of First Lactation Milk Yield on The Basis of Test Day Yield Using Multiple Linear Regression in Gir Cows

The test-day model is a method of choice for the study of milk yield traits, and this method is very important in countries like India, where herd size is generally smaller and lacks a well-established milk recording system. The present investigation was carried out on 365 records of Gir cows maintained at a cattle breeding farm from 1986 to 2014 with the objective of predicting the first lactation milk yield using monthly test day milk records. MLR was used with the backward elimination method. The optimum equation had total five variables (test days) viz. TD1, TD2, TD3, TD4 and TD5. This equation gave an accuracy of prediction of 77.71%. Therefore, it is concluded that first lactation 305 day milk yield could be predicted as early as 5th month of lactation with higher degree of accuracy.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INSECTOFAUNA OF CATTLE FARMS

The article presents data on the determination of the entomofauna of zoophilous flies in the conditions of the cattle breeding farm. Were subjected to parasitological research cattle of various ages: dairy cows, heifers of mating age, calves. The research was carried out on pastures, in production premises and walking areas. As a result of the conducted research, it was established that the main representatives of zoophilic flies parasitizing animals in pasture conditions were: Lyperosia irritans, Haematobia stimulans, Musca autumnalis Musca vitripennis. The following types of flies in the case of animals staying in the production premises, were identified on them: Musca domestic, Fannia canicularus, Calliphora uralensis, Calliphora visina, Lucilia sericata and Muscina stabulans. It was established that the extent of infestation by zoophilous flies was 100% among all age groups of cattle. Intensity of infestation in the group of dairy cows was 270.22±4.28 specimens/animal, among heifers and heifers of mating age – 244.67±3.49 specimens/animal, and among calves – 81.67±1.14 specimens/animal. We identified a clear trend regarding the specifics of parasitic insect damage in cattle of different breeds. When staying within the same production group, the highest intensity of infestation (354.50±5.08 insects per animal) was found in black Holstein cows, and the lowest II indicator was found in Simmental cows - 159.83±1.41 insects per animal. The intensity of the infestation of cows by zoophilic flies among representatives of the Holstein breed is 28% higher than that of the Simmental breed, and also 25% higher than that of the cows of the Ukrainian black-spotted dairy breed. It was noted that with high indicators of the intensity of invasion by zoophilous flies, the animals showed the maximum degree of restlessness, when analyzing behavioral reactions and the level of well-being of cows. It manifested itself in a constant effort to be in motion. Therefore, as a result of the conducted complex of studies, the extreme relevance of insecticidal treatments of cattle of different age groups has been proven, since a wide range of zoophilic flies has been identified in the places where animals stay.

Calculation of air curtain parameters for cattle breeding livestock premises taking into account wind load

The use of air curtains in livestock premises is aimed at limiting the amount of cold air entering through the open gate opening and heating it. Recommendations for selection and calculation methods for air curtains for cattle breeding farm premises are given, taking into account the influence of wind load. The proposed method makes it possible to calculate the thermal and energy parameters of air curtains, taking into account the variability of the climatic factors impact (wind speed and direction). The aerodynamic coefficients of the cowshed building, taking into account wind directions, were determined to calculate the amount of air entering through the gate opening protected by an air curtain. Formulas for calculating heat losses through an opening protected by an air curtain are given. The procedure for calculating the parameters is proposed and the requirements for air curtains for cattle breeding livestock premises are formulated.

Managerial Practices Related to The Survival of Calves in Dairy Cattle Breeding Farms in Hendek District-II

This research was conducted out to determine the knowledge, ideas and behaviors related to the 
 managerial practices of calf survival in dairy cattle farms in Hendek district of Sakarya province, and to analyze the status of the existing farms. In the research, were identified farms which are registered to Turkvet and e-breeding system database having 10 or more dairy cattle in Hendek district. Random sampling method was used to determine the sample size. The identified farms are divided into 5 groups which are 10-20 heads, 21-30 heads, 31-40 heads, 41-50 heads and over 50 heads of cattle. In this context, after obtaining general data about the farms, questions related to the main topics about the care and management of calves such as colostrum use, feeding practices, health protection and housing were evaluated. Milk-fed to calves, marketed milk, marketed milk + waste milk, and marketed milk + milk replacer are given in three ways. Within the scope of the size of the farms, the difference between the source of the milk consumed during the milk feeding period was found to be significant (P

Test-day and other milk recording options for prediction of lactation milk yield in Jaffarabadi (Bubalus bubalis) buffaloes

Generally, standard lactation milk yield is predicted based on test-day records collected at monthly intervals. Test-day milk production at different time intervals other than monthly intervals can be used to predict lactation milk yield of field bovines in field conditions. With the same possibility, this study was carried out to predict lactation milk yield in Jaffarabadi buffaloes from various test-day milk yield data retrieved for different time intervals. A total of 1,15,339 daily milk yield records in 176 lactations of 1st to 6th parity of 30 Jaffarabadi buffaloes lactating at the Cattle Breeding Farm, Kamdhenu University, Junagadh, Gujarat over a period of 28 years (1991 to 2018) were used for the study. Single monthly test-day milk yield recorded on 125th, 155th or 185th day i.e., 5th, 6th and 7th monthly test day yield alone provided only 50% reliability in determining the standard lactation milk yield. Daily peak yield alone was also found to be a poor predictor for lactation yield. Prediction equations using combination of consecutive two monthly test day yields from 4th to 10th monthly test day were found reliable source for prediction of lactation milk yield providing accuracy up to 82.19% whereas, daily peak yield in combination with single monthly test day yield at mid and late lactation was also predicted lactation milk yield with accuracies up to 72.23%. Milk production recorded at weekly interval could also be used to approximate milk production using the equation 15.35+6.91 × Sum of all weekly test-day yields, with precision of 98.93% or milk production recorded at fortnightly interval by the equation 18.04+14.65 × Sum of fortnightly test-day yields, with precision of 97.14%.

Problems in the diagnosis of Bovine tuberculosis

The results of comprehensive researches in cattle-breeding farms of Ukraine to determine the epizootic situation of bovine tuberculosis are presented. It is proved that the application of the proposed complex of research methods allows to find out the causes of non-specific allergic reactions to tuberculin in animals with minimal economic losses for agricultural enterprises. It has been established that parallergic reactions to tuberculin in cattle are caused by such mycobacterial species as M. phlei, M. smegmatis, M. nonchromogenicum, and pseudoallergic reactions are caused by nocardia and actinomycetes. The presence of non-specific animal reactions is not a reason to consider animal groups unfavorable for tuberculosis. However, special monitoring for this disease is needed

Antioxidant Potential of Yogurts Produced from Milk of Cows Fed Fodder Supplemented with Herbal Mixture with Regard to Refrigerated Storage

The aim of the study was to assess the potential of milk from herbal blend-fed cows to be used for the production of yogurts exhibiting increased antioxidant potential with regard to the duration of refrigerated storage of the products. Bulk milk (control—CM and experimental—EM) intended for the production of yogurts was provided by a dairy cattle breeding farm. The milk samples were analyzed to determine their basic chemical composition (the content of dry matter, fat, and total protein including casein), hygienic status (somatic cell count (SCC) and total microbial count (TMC)), and antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays). Pasteurized milk was used to manufacture natural yogurts with the use of starter cultures YC-X11 (Chr. Hansen, Hørsholm, Denmark). Changes in physicochemical traits (acidity, nutritional value, and water activity) and antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays) occurring during 21-day refrigerated storage of the yogurts were determined. The analyses revealed that the yogurts had higher antioxidant potential than the milk, irrespective of the determination method. Additionally, the experimental yogurts produced from milk obtained from the cows fed fodder supplemented with an herbal mixture exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity than the control yogurts. The antioxidant potential of the yogurts changed during the refrigerated storage. It should be emphasized that their antioxidant activity significantly increased during the first two weeks (until day 14) but decreased by 15–20% in the following week.

Conservation and Multiplication of Indigenous Animals (Bos indicus) Through in vitro Embryo Production

The objectives of the study were conservation and multiplication of superior germplasm in cattle by ovum pick up-In vitro fertilization technology, standardization of OPU process and standardization of IVF techniques/process. for this purpose, indigenous breeds viz. dangi, deoni, gaolao, gir, red kandhari and sahiwal reared in BAIF’s central cattle breeding farm were selected on the basis of minimum standard protocol set by Govt. of India. OPU was performed to aspirate the oocytes followed by IVM and the matured oocytes were processed for IVF which then kept for In vitro Culture (IVC). A total of 891 OPU Sessions were carried out. Totally 6416 oocytes were processed for In vitro culture and 2016 embryos were produced. The effect of breed, age of the animal and interval between two OPU sessions were evaluated for both number of oocyte and embryos produced per session. The average breed wise oocyte recovery was 6.58±0.45 and the average breed wise embryo production was 2.11±0.33 per session. Breed of cow and age at collection of oocyte were found to be significantly affecting the oocyte and embryo production. It was found that Gir breed has better oocyte recovery and embryo production efficiency in our study. Gir, Dangi and Sahiwal presented higher oocyte recovery and embryo production followed by Deoni, Gaolao and Red Kandhari. In conclusion, the process is standardized for Ovum Pick Up, In vitro Maturation, In vitro Fertilization, and In vitro Culture.

Sequence characteristics of Rhipicephalus microplus Enolase gene and prediction of structure and antigenic epitopes of its encoding protein

To analyze the sequence characteristics of Rhipicephalus microplus Enolase gene, and to predict the secondary and tertiary structure and antigenic epitopes of the Enolase protein. Sixty-two engorged female R. microplus were sampled from a yellow cattle breeding farm in Zhijiang County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province in June 25, 2022. Genomic DNA was isolated from R. microplus, and the Enolase gene was amplified using PCR assay, followed by cloning, sequencing and expression of the amplification product. The sequence characteristics of the Enolase gene were analyzed using the software Clustal X, and the gene sequence was translated into amino acid sequences. The secondary and tertiary structures of the Enolase protein were deduced using the software PRABI, and the physicochemical properties of the Enolase protein were analyzed using the software PRABI. In addition, the B- and T-cell epitopes of the Enolase protein were predicted using the software ABCpred Prediction, Scratch, IEDB and NetCTL. The R. microplus Enolase gene sequence was 1 323 bp in size, and the contents of A, T, G and C bases were 24.5%, 22.5%, 27.0% and 26.0%,with 47.0% of A + T content and 53.0% of G + C content. The R. microplus Enolase gene encoded 434 amino acids, and the Enolase protein had a molecular weight of 47.12 kDa. The secondary structure of the Enolase protein contained 186 α-helixes (42.86%), 32 β-turns (7.37%), 144 random coils (33.18%) and 72 extended strands (16.59%). The Enolase protein was most probably present in cytoplasm (76.7%), followed by in mitochondrion (39.1%) and nucleus (21.7%), and the Enolase protein had no signal peptide or transmembrane domain. In addition, the Enolase protein had 14 B-cell dominant epitopes and 8 T-cell dominant epitopes. The R. microplus Enolase gene sequence exhibits a GC preference, and its encoding Enolase protein is an acidic and hydrophilic protein, with α-helixes and random coils as its primary structure, and presenting B- and T-cell dominant epitopes, which is a potential target for development of vaccines against R. microplus.

Serological survey of foot and mouth disease virus structural protein at cattle breeding farms in the Republic of Korea, 2020~2021

Serological survey of foot and mouth disease virus structural protein at cattle breeding farms in the Republic of Korea, 2020~2021

State subsidies to increase productivity in beef cattle breeding of the Republic of Kazakhstan: implementation tools

The aim is to justify measures of state stimulation of innovative processes in beef cattle breeding in Kazakhstan. Methods – monographic, financial and economic analysis, comparison, logical generalization. Results – main factors hindering the processes of effective application of innovations in animal husbandry are considered: consequences of the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic, the impact of human activity on the environment, which led to the degradation of pastures and reduction of natural forage base. It was revealed that these problems led to an increase in feed prices when raising beef cattle. At the same time, inflation disrupts the stability of production cycles and sustainability of agri business. The need to expand the meat products market is justified by the main task of public policy in agriculture – ensuring food security and physiological norms for consumption of meat and its products. The article focuses on the study of the mechanism of subsidizing beef cattle. The analysis of the main support programs for the subjects of this industry was carried out. Conclusions – degradation of pastures, lack of drinking points, high cost of animal feeding hinder the innovative activity of producers. Rational methods are proposed for restoring degraded pastures by drilling wells and installing tubular wells to extract groundwater. Calculations were made on the payback of investments received by farms, taking into account investment subsidies from the state. The authors state that the effective use of the available resources of beef cattle breeding, the gene pool of the most intensive breeds of domestic and world breeding, consistent public support for regional programs, and attraction of extra-budgetary funds will accelerate the development of cattle breeding farms in the republic.

Lactation stages modulate the hematological, serum biochemical, and endocrinological profiles and oxidative stress markers in crossbred cows under tropical humid island ecosystem of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The present study was designed to assess the interrelationship between hematological, serum biochemical, and endocrinological profiles and oxidative stress markers and lactational stages in crossbred (CB) dairy cows of Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI). Healthy (n = 6) CB cows (50-62.50% exotic inheritance; Holstein Friesian × Andaman local) of 4th parity with age of 7-9years and body weight of 350-400kg were selected from Cattle Breeding Farm, ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI), Port Blair, ANI. These experimental cows were synchronized with Ovsynch protocol, and parturition was planned to happen in the month of May-June. Lactation was allowed for 305days. Hematological profiles, serum biochemical profiles, oxidative stress markers and endocrinological profiles were measured at a 15-day interval from day 07 to 305 of lactation (after 6days of colostrum). The lactation period was divided into first (day 07 to 90), second (day 91 to 180), and third (day 181 to 305) stage of lactation. Average daily milk yield (L) did not vary among the stages of lactations; however, first (8.56 ± 1.26) and second (9.79 ± 0.87) stages had higher milk yield compared to third (7.93 ± 0.79) stage of lactation. Hematological profiles did not vary among the stages of lactation; however, these values were within the range of bovine species at lactation. Serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, total protein, globulin, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increased (P < 0.05) and albumin and creatinine decreased (P < 0.05) gradually as lactation stages advanced. Activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and concentration of calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium were nearly similar among the stages of lactation. Similarly, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) increased and prolactin and cortisol decreased (P < 0.05) gradually as stages of lactation advanced. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased (P < 0.05) as lactation stages advanced. The results of the present study indicated that the lactating CB cows suffered nutritional stress (deficiency of protein, carbohydrate, lipids, and minerals), physiological stress (higher cortisol), oxidative stress (higher MDA and deficiency of total antioxidant capacity), and hormonal imbalance (higher prolactin and cortisol and deficiency of thyroid hormones) during the early stages of lactation. Thus, the first and second stages are more stressful events compared to the third stage of lactation in the CB cows in ANI. Therefore, regular monitoring of blood components and accordingly suitable feeding strategies with balanced nutrients and minerals, supplementation of suitable antioxidants, and appropriate management practices need to be implemented to mitigate these stresses and to prevent metabolic disorders with maximum milk production during different stages of lactation in CB cows under humid tropical island ecosystem of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Effects of altitude on the gut microbiome and metabolomics of Sanhe heifers.

Extreme environments at high altitudes pose a significant physiological challenge to animals. We evaluated the gut microbiome and fecal metabolism in Sanhe heifers from different altitudes. Twenty Sanhe heifers (body weight: 334.82 ± 13.22 kg, 15-month-old) selected from two regions of China: the Xiertala Cattle Breeding Farm in Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia [119°57' E, 47°17' N; approximately 700 m altitude, low altitude (LA)] and Zhizhao Dairy Cow Farm in Lhasa, Tibet [91°06' E, 29°36' N; approximately 3,650 m altitude, high altitude (HA)], were used in this study. Fecal samples were collected and differences in the gut microbiota and metabolomics of Sanhe heifers were determined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolome analysis. The results showed that altitude did not significantly affect the concentrations of fecal volatile fatty acids, including acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total volatile fatty acids (p > 0.05). However, 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that altitude significantly affected gut microbial composition. Principal coordinate analysis based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity analysis revealed a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.001). At the family level, the relative abundances of Peptostreptococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Family_XIII were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in LA heifers than in HA heifers. In addition, the relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae, Domibacillus, Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, Bacteroidales_RF16_group, Porphyromonadaceae, and Spirochaetaceae were significantly higher in HA heifers than in LA heifers (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed the enrichment of 10 metabolic pathways, including organismal systems, metabolism, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, and disease induction. The genera Romboutsia, Paeniclostridium, and g_unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae were strongly associated with the 28 differential metabolites. This study is the first to analyze the differences in the gut microbiome and metabolome of Sanhe heifers reared at different altitudes and provides insights into the adaptation mechanism of Sanhe heifers to high-altitude areas.

The Influence of CO2 Injection into Manure as a Pretreatment Method for Increased Biogas Production

Manure is considered a by-product or organic waste in cattle, pig, chicken or other animal breeding farms, which can be a valuable product as compost or feedstock for biogas production. The production of biomethane from biogas always copes with the formation of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a by-product. This CO2 may be recycled through the feedstock as a pretreatment to maximize homogeneity, and improve biogas yield and biogas quality. The CO2-pretreatment process of cow manure (CoM), chicken manure (ChM) and pig manure (PM) was performed in the continuously fed agitated reactor at 25 °C temperature and ambient barometric pressure. Biogas yield and composition exploration were performed in an anaerobic continuous feeding digester with controlled mesophilic (37 °C) environmental conditions. The CO2 pretreated PM, CoM and ChM yielded 234.62 ± 10.93 L/kgVS, 82.01 ± 3.19 L/kgVS and 374.53 ± 9.27 L/kgVS biomethane from feedstock volatile solids, respectively. The biomethane yield from CO2 pretreated CoM, ChM and PM achieved was higher over untreated manure by +33.78%, +28.76% and +21.78%, respectively. The anaerobic digestion process of tested feedstocks was stable, and the pH of the substrate was kept steady at a pH of CoM 7.77 ± 0.02, PM 8.07 ± 0.02 and ChM 8.09 ± 0.02 during all the experiment. The oxidation-reduction potential after pretreatment was within the optimal range (−255 ± 39.0 to −391 ± 16.8 mV) for anaerobic digestion. This process also had a positive effect on the energy generated from the feedstock, with ChM showing the greatest increase, from 2.38 MJ/kg to 3.06 MJ/kg.

Determination of Parcel Based Session of Agricultural and Animal Production Facility Areas Inside or Outside the Contiguous Area Boundaries

The adjacent area is neighbor as a word. In the language of cartography, it means the region within the borders adjacent to the zoning boundaries. The parcels located at the borders of the adjacent area are cadastral, that is, the areas that have not been developed in the form of fields. Since this type of parcel is outside the zoning boundaries, certain definite criteria for construction are not as diverse as in a zoning island. The most significant part is that the parcel must have at least one side of the parcel should face the road. In the adjacent area, facilities such as chicken, fattening, cattle breeding farm or cheese, dairy production facilities, trustee parking lot, silo and feed facility are built. The purpose of the study is how the parcels can move within the boundaries in the construction of these related structures. As a method, it is to make it geometrically closed while determining the residential areas for the building at the borders of the parcels with the end-to-end splicing technique. Therefore, with various examples, it is to examine how a construction permit will be granted on the ground within the framework of the regulation on unplanned areas while the facility is placed on the ground in an adjacent area.

Determination of Veterinary and Health Practices in Cattle Breeding Farms in the Province of Muş

Amaç: Sığır besiciliği, ülke ekonomisine ve insanların sağlıklı beslenmesine faydalı olan önemli bir tarımsal faaliyettir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Muş ilindeki sığır besi işletmelerinde yapılan veteriner ve sağlık uygulamalarının belirlenmesidir. Materyal ve Metot: Bu amaçla, 2017 yılında Muş il Merkez ve ilçelerinde belirlenen 368 adet besi işletmesinde anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Bulgular: Muş il Merkez ve ilçelerinde besicilerin veteriner hizmeti alma sıklığı, veteriner hizmetinden memnuniyet ve besi başı iç-dış parazit uygulaması gibi birçok özellikler bakımından ilçeler arasındaki farklılıklar önemli çıkarken (p&amp;lt;0.01, p&amp;lt;0.05) veteriner hizmeti alma ve koruyucu aşılama yaptırmama nedeni gibi bazı özellikler bakımından ise ilçeler arasındaki farklılıklar istatistiki olarak önemli bulunmamıştır. İşletmelerin %98.6’sı veteriner hizmeti almakta, %77.7’si besi başında iç-dış parazit uygulaması yapmakta ve %92.5’i ise koruyucu aşılama yapmaktadırlar.Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, veteriner sağlık uygulamaları bakımından genel olarak ilçeler arasındaki farklılıklar önemli bulunmuştur. Bu konu ile ilgili olarak işletmelerde yapılan doğru uygulamaların işletmeden işletmeye kamu veteriner hekimleri aracılığıyla aktarılabileceği düşünülmekte ve önerilmektedir.

Prevalence of Campylobacter Species on Cattle Breeding Farms in Zimbabwe.

Infertility remains a challenge in breeding herds in most developing countries. In the current study, 104 penile sheath washes were collected from bulls of different breeds and ages from different cattle breeding farms in Zimbabwe. The samples were submitted to the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Zimbabwe, for screening of Campylobacter species using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Based on the PCR results, the animal-level prevalence was 25.96% (range 0-73.98%) and all the positive samples came from four (57.14%) of the 7 herds tested. The current study shows that Campylobacter spp. could be a causative agent in infertility observed in a number of herds in Zimbabwe. Strategies for treatment and control of campylobacteriosis should be enhanced in the country. More research and surveillance are needed to determine the epidemiology of Campylobacter species in Zimbabwean cattle herds.

Evaluation of the European Green Deal Policy in the Context of Agricultural Support Payments in Latvia

The European Green Deal policy will significantly affect the resilience and development of agriculture, which will be determined by the 2021–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms, entering into force in 2023. Therefore, the European Commission determines that at least 25% of the direct payments should be earmarked for eco-schemes, while 35% of the funding for rural development should be allocated to climate and environmental support measures. Support payments constitute a significant part of farmers’ income and guide their decision-making for production development. Therefore, the goal of the research was set by analysing the existing CAP support payment system in 2019 to determine the possible impact of the reform envisaged for 2023 on farms of various specialisations and sizes in Latvia. The analysis revealed that in Latvia in 2019, 83% of the total number of farms received support, the amount of the support was EUR 5616 per year per farm on average, and within the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS), the support was higher by 24%. Among the funding recipient farms, the support accounted for 28% of the farms’ income, calculated per 1 hectare. The detailed calculations carried out indicate that the possible base support payments as a result of the CAP 2023 reform are expected to be higher specifically in cattle breeding and dairy farming, which may contribute to even greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the future and thus reduce the likelihood of achieving the goals of the European Green Deal policy.