Large Farms Research Articles

Climatic and calf-related risk factors associated with failure of transfer of passive immunity in Holstein calves in a hot environment.

This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the effect of temperature-humidity index (THI) at calving and in the last trimester of pregnancy and calve-related factors affecting passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulin using Brix refractometry in Holstein calves. Blood samples from 4411 Holstein calves from a single large dairy farm in spring 2022 were used. A subset of data containing 6318 calvings was used to determine the effect of climatic conditions on the occurrence of agammaglobulinemia. Risk factors predictive of failure of passive transfer (FPT) were calculated using multiple logistic models. Females were 1.4 times more likely not to have FPT (56%; Brix% > 8 equivalent to ≥ 10g/L IgG) than males (47.2%). Calves born as singles increased the likelihood of not presenting FPT (52.6%) than calves born as twins (42.9%). Calves from cows with no dystocic delivery had a lower risk for FPT (odds ratio = 2.3) than calves from cows with dystocia. Agammaglobulinemia was 1.5 and 1.8 times more likely to occur in calves with THI ≥ 80 and ≥ 82 in the last trimester of gestation and at calving, respectively, than in calves not experiencing heat stress. Agammaglobulinemia was twice as likely to occur in male than in female calves. Calves with birth weight ≥ 37kg and gestation length ≥ 275kg were less likely to present agammaglobulinemia than lighter calves and calves with shorter gestation periods. This study raises questions for management practices in Holstein calves undergoing in utero heat stress and around calving to avoid agammaglobulinemia.

People’s commissars of agriculture of the RSFSR in the era of the new eco- nomic policy (1921-1928)

The article analyses deep agrarian transformations in Russia in the early 1920s. With the participation of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture and its people’s commissars - V. G. Yakovenko and A. P. Smirnova. An explanation is given for revising the Bolshevik model of Russian development in 1921, expressed in the transition to the NEP as a policy of partial “retreat to state capitalism.” Economic priorities and the main elements of the new agricultural policy are noted: allowing trade and financial freedom for peasants, restoring money circulation, diversity of forms of land use in the countryside, renting land, and using hired labour while maintaining a state monopoly on land. In the context of the ongoing transformations, the participation of the People’s Commissars of Agriculture and their role and influence in restoring Russian agriculture in the search for effective ways to develop the industry is considered. The most important facts of the personal biography of the People’s Commissars are reproduced. Against the backdrop of the consistent implementation of NEP in agriculture, there are also relapses from the Civil War era in the form of the final destruction of large landowner farms. Despite this, on the eve of the completion of the restoration process and the victory of the collectivisation course, the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture supported state support for individual solid farms and their cooperation. It advocated the exclusion of administrative measures concerning the peasantry.

An empirical analysis of marketing and value chain of mustard in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh

Mustard oil is consumed in India at one of the highest rates of any country in the world. Additionally, the growing agricultural sector contributes to the growing availability of high yielding mustard seeds, which in turn catalyses the production of mustard oil. This is because agriculture is expanding. This is a significant component of the economy of the entire world. In addition, the government of India has initiated a number of projects in an effort to raise the amount of oilseeds that are produced within the country. The study was purposively confined to Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh. In the first stage, Jhansi district was selected purposively for study on the basis of having higher production and area under mustard crop. There are eight blocks in namely Babina, Badagaon, Bamaur, Bangra,Chirgaon, Gursrai, Mauranipur and Moth block was selected purposively on the basis of higher production of the mustard crop. Thus making a sample size of 120 in numbers. Total variable cost was found maximum in large farms Rs.33080.66 and least in marginal farms (Rs.26580), on all farms basis it was found Rs.30731. Variable cost was found to be a major contributor in total cost and it has been recorded increasing with increase in size of farms, the findings are also supported by the findings of Mathur 2011. Rental value of the owned land and rent paid for the land are found equal for all categories of farms i.e. Rs. 10000 and Rs. 34, respectively. Cost of depreciation was calculated maximum in large farms (Rs.485) and least was found in marginal farms (Rs.360). Interest on the fixed capital excluding land was calculated maximum in large farms (Rs.52.5) and least was found in marginal farms (Rs.48.5). In the same way total fixed cost was found maximum in large farms (Rs.10621.5) and least was found in marginal farms (Rs.10510.4), on all farms basis it was calculated Rs.10573. Total cost incurred per hectare i.e. cost of cultivation or Cost C3 was found maximum in large farms (Rs. 39562) and lowest in marginal farms (Rs. 36850), on all farms basis it was calculated Rs. 38646. In the case of Bundelkhand, the area under mustard has demonstrated a significant shift, increasing from 68575 hectares in 1997–1998 to 113392 hectares in 2019–20. Mustard production went from 25481 tonnes in 1997-1998 to 115892 tonnes in 2019-20, according to the observations that were made. The rising trend has a significant impact on the total amount of mustard that is produced in the Jhansi district. It has been observed that the maximum arrival of agricultural commodities in this mandi is dominated by the arrival of groundnut, followed by urd, and then wheat. As far as mustard is concerned, there are a total of 28 new arrivals between the months of March and June, and the typical filling pack size is 80 kilogrammes. During the time period in question, it was discovered that only ten separate journeys were undertaken. During the months of March through June, it was discovered that the supply of mustard reached its maximum number of trips of 500, and the standard filling pack size was 40 kg. In addition to this, it was discovered that the Jhansi mandi possesses effective management of its supply chain in terms of mustard.

Crop Infestation Classification Using MIL-Attention Based CNN

Agriculture constantly faces various challenges including attacks from new pests and insects. With large farm sizes and plummeting manpower in the agricultural sector, it becomes challenging to continuously monitor crops for pest infestation. In this research paper, a specific type of pest attack known as the white fly attack has been investigated which affects a variety of crops. This paper presents a multiple instance learning based deep learning approach based on Convolutional Neural Networks for the detection of whitefly pests. A comparative analysis with conventional machine learning and deep learning techniques has also been presented. The performance of the proposed system has been evaluated in terms of the classification accuracy. The experimental results obtained show that the proposed technique attains a classification accuracy of 98.5% and outperforms both separate feature trained machine learning models and well as baseline deep learning models in terms of classification accuracy. Keywords: Precision Agriculture, Whitefly Pest Detection, Feature Extraction, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Multi Instance Learning (MIL), Classification Accuracy.

Economic Competitiveness of Dairy Farms from the Top Milk-Producing Countries in the EU: Assessment in 2014–2021

This study aims to present changes in the competitive positions of the dairy farms from EU countries with the highest milk production in 2020. The assessment was based on data from the FADN system for the years 2014–2021 and covered average and large dairy farms from five EU countries: Germany, France, The Netherlands, Italy, and Poland. To assess the competitive positions of dairy farms from the selected EU countries, we developed the Synthetic Measure of Competitive Position based on the resource-based theory of enterprises. The conducted research showed that: (1) average dairy farms in Poland had the lowest production potential resulting from their possessed resources. (2) The highest value of the Synthetic Measure of Competitive Position for 2014–2021 was achieved by average dairy farms from Germany and their position in the ranking strengthened throughout the analyzed period. (3) The same analysis conducted on the group of large dairy farms showed that the competitive position, measured with the Synthetic Measure of Competitive Position, was the highest in the case of Polish dairy farms.

Worm control practices used by Thoroughbred horse managers in Australia: A national survey

This study assessed worm control practices used by Australian Thoroughbred farm managers with an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire comprised 52 questions (close-ended: 44; open-ended: 8) about farm demography and general husbandry practices, farm managers’ knowledge of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and their importance, diagnosis, worm control strategies and anthelmintics, anthelmintic resistance (AR) and grazing management. Following the pilot survey, the link for the questionnaire survey was sent to all (n = 657) registered members of the Thoroughbred Breeders Australia on 12th April 2020. The response rate for the questionnaire was 18.5% (122 of 675). The farm managers reported a good understanding of GIN and their importance in different age groups of horses as most respondents (70% of 122) perceived worm-related illness to be more important in young (i.e., foals, weanlings and yearlings) than adult (> 3 years old) horses. Although most respondents (93%, 113 of 122) used anthelmintics prophylactically to control GIN, only 15% (18 of 122) observed worm-related illness in their horses. Just under 40% of respondents were performing faecal egg counts, with less than 20% using the results of faecal egg counts to guide deworming decisions. The interval-based deworming strategy was the most common method (≥55% of 122 respondents) to control GIN in all age groups of horses. Macrocyclic lactones were the first choice of anthelmintics for all age groups of horses. Although the majority of respondents (88%, 107 of 122) perceived resistance in GIN against commonly used anthelmintics as an important issue in managing worms in horses, only 29% assessed the efficacy of anthelmintics and 91% (111 of 122) were unaware of AR on their properties. Grazing management practices, such as manure removal, were more frequently performed on smaller paddocks (<0.20 ha: 58%) than on larger paddocks (>0.20 ha: 18%). Multiple correspondence analyses showed that the likelihood of suboptimal worm control practices on small farms (n = ≤50 horses) was greater than that of medium (n = 51–100) and large (n = >100) farms. This study provides insights into the demography of Thoroughbred farms in Australia, husbandry practices used by stud managers and their knowledge about worms, control options and AR concerns, thereby paving the way for taking any initiatives to address the problem of AR in GIN of Australian Thoroughbred horses.

Dairy producers' colostrum practices, marketing, and attitudes toward male dairy calves

Optimal early-life care of surplus calves born on dairy farms is critical for health and welfare. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe the marketing practices of male dairy calves, differences in the colostrum management between male and female calves on dairy farms, and the relationship between discrepant colostrum practices and dairy producers' attitudes toward male calf care. United States dairy producers (n = 1,000) in the states of Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin were selected using stratified random sampling. A questionnaire containing questions about farm demographics, colostrum management (including quantity and timeliness of colostrum delivery), and producers' attitudes toward male calf care was mailed in February 2021. Attitudes toward male calf care were assessed using 5-point Likert scales for 10 statements regarding perceptions of the value of male calves and barriers in providing optimal care. Producer responses to questions about the quantity and timeliness of colostrum delivery between male and female calves were compared using a nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between differences in colostrum management and producers' attitudes. By May 2021, 953 surveys were delivered and 315 (33.1%) were returned with complete responses. Most producers (>90%) reported feeding equal volumes of colostrum and performing the first postbirth feeding within a similar time frame for male and female calves. However, compared with females, male calves had a longer delay to the first colostrum feeding. Approximately 40% of producers marketed their male calves through auctions, and over half (54.6%) of farms sold the male calves between 3 and 10 d of age. Large farms (≥500 lactating cows) were found to market male calves at a younger age (≤3 d of age). Most producers (>78%) believed their male calves were receiving optimal care and did not consider the workload and financial costs as obstacles to providing good care to male calves. However, those who viewed the workload as an obstacle to good care and produced organic products were marginally more likely to feed a lower volume of colostrum to male calves in the first feeding after birth. These findings suggest that interventions to improve colostrum practices should be more broadly targeted to all calves born on dairy farms, and that age at transport is markedly different between large and small farms.

Towards High-Performance Linear Potential Flow BEM Solver with Low-Rank Compressions

The interaction of water waves with floating bodies can be modeled with linear potential flow theory and numerically solved with the boundary element method (BEM). This method requires the construction of dense matrices and the resolution of the corresponding linear systems. The cost of this method in terms of time and memory grows at least quadratically with the size of the mesh, and the resolution of large problems (such as large farms of wave energy converters) can, thus, be very costly. Approximating some blocks of the matrix with data-sparse matrices can limit this cost. While matrix compression with low-rank blocks has become a standard tool in the larger BEM community, the present paper provides its first application (to our knowledge) to linear potential flows. In this paper, we assess how efficiently low-rank blocks can approximate interaction matrices between distant meshes when using the Green function of linear potential flow. Due to the complexity of this Green function, a theoretical study is difficult, and numerical experiments are used to test the approximation method. Typical results on large arrays of floating bodies show that 99% of the accuracy can be reached with 10% of the coefficients of the matrix.

Pesticide Application in Trinidadian Food Supply Chain: Food Safety and Sustainability Implications

The use of pesticides, although ensures crop protection and enables to achieve food security, often causes negative externalities for both human and the environment. This study sought to identify the factors that influence pesticide application in Trinidad, a major CARICOM nation, by conducting structured interviews with 174 farmers in eight municipal counties. The data were analysed using Ordered Probit Model. While gender and age showed no significant impact on pesticide use frequency, farm size and experience influenced application behaviours. Larger farms and experienced farmers displayed distinct patterns, calling for customized interventions. Notably, secondary and collegiate education was linked to reduced pesticide use, aligning with sustainability goals. Crop-specific trends were seen with an increase in the use of pesticides in the Solanaceae crop and leafy vegetables, underscoring the need for tailored approaches. Insect and weed issues had a limited impact, however, management of crop diseases was essential in reducing pesticide use. This study emphasizes the need for multi-disciplinary interventions that take into account the size of the farm, the level of experience, the level of education, and the types of crops grown in Trinidad, to promote the sustainable use of pesticides in agriculture. Such comprehensive strategies are essential for enhancing food safety and long-term sustainability of the Trinidad food supply chain, while also mitigating the negative externalities of pesticide application.

Phylogenetically evolutionary analysis provides insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of porcine deltacoronavirus

BackgroundPorcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is one of the emerging swine enteric coronaviruses (SECoVs), which has been widely prevalent in the North America and Asia. In addition to causing severe diarrhea in piglets, PDCoV also shows the potential to infect diverse host species, including calves, chickens, turkey poults, and humans. However, the clinical pathogenicity and genetic evolution of PDCoV is still not fully understood.ResultsHere, we recorded an outbreak of a novel recombinant PDCoV strain (CHN-HeN06-2022) in a large nursery fattening pig farm. Genomic analysis showed that the CHN-HeN06-2022 strain shared 98.3-98.7% sequence identities with the Chinese and American reference strains. To clarify the evolutionary relationships, phylogenetic analysis was performed using the PDCoV genome sequences available in the GenBank database. Based on genetic distance and geographical distribution, the phylogenetic tree clearly showed that all the PDCoV sequences could be divided into lineage 1 and lineage 2, which were further classified into sublineage 1.1 (Chinese strains), 1.2 (the North American strains), 2.1 (the Southeast Asian strains), and 2.2 (Chinese strains). Corresponding to the evolutionary tree, we found that, compared to lineage 1, lineage 2 strains usually contain a continuous 6-nt deletion in Nsp2 and a 9-nt deletion in Nsp3, respectively. Furthermore, recombination analysis suggested that the CHN-HeN06-2022 occurred segments exchange crossed Nsp2 and Nsp3 region between sublineage 1.1 and sublineage 2.1. Combined with previously reported recombinant strains, the highest recombination frequency occurred in Nsp2, Nsp3, and S gene. Additionally, we identified a total of 14 amino acid sites under positive selection in spike protein, most of which are located in the regions related with the viral attachment, receptor binding, and membrane fusion.ConclusionsTaken together, our studies provide novel insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of PDCoV. It would be helpful to the development of vaccine and potential antiviral agent.

A case-control study of the infection risk of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza in Japan during the winter of 2020–2021

In Japan, outbreaks of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were reported between November 2020 and March 2021 in 52 poultry farms. Understanding HPAI epidemiology would help poultry industries improve their awareness of the disease and enhance the immediate implementation of biosecurity measures. This study was a simulation-based matched case-control study to elucidate the risk factors associated with HPAI outbreaks in chicken farms in Japan. Data were collected from 42 HPAI-affected farms and 463 control farms that were within a 5-km radius of each case farm but remained uninfected. When infected farms were detected as clusters, one farm was randomly selected from each cluster, considering the possibility that the cluster was formed by farm-to-farm transmission within an epidemic area. For each case farm, up to three control farms were selected within a 5-km radius. Overall, 26 case farms (16 layer and 10 broiler farms) and 75 control farms (45 layer and 30 broiler farms) were resampled 1000 times for the conditional logistic regression model with explanatory variables comprising geographical factors and farm flock size. A larger flock size and shorter distance to water bodies from the farm were found to increase infection risk in layer farms. Similarly, in broiler farms, a shorter distance to water bodies increased infection risk. On larger farms, frequent access of farm staff and instrument carriages to premises could lead to increased infection risk. Waterfowl visiting water bodies around farms may also be associated with infection risk.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Buffalo Milk Production in India

Context: The vast resource of Indian livestock played an important role in improving the socio-economic conditions of people in rural areas. Dairying has provided strong support to stabilise the Indian economy by ensuring a certain degree of diversification and flexibility.&#x0D; Aim: The present study aims to analyse the costs and returns from buffalo milk production in the Punjab state of India to know about the viability of the dairy business.&#x0D; Methods: The present study is based on primary data collected through a detailed schedule from 420 dairy farmers belonging to different farm size categories (landless households, large, medium, small, and marginal farmers) from 21 villages situated across three different agro-climatic zones of Punjab state in 2019. A multi-stage sampling technique has been used to select the villages and dairy farmers in the study area.&#x0D; Key Results: The study has revealed that the total costs of buffalo milk production are ₹180.16 per day per milch buffalo. The sale of fluid milk constitutes a major component of gross returns. The net returns are calculated as ₹6.42 per litre from buffalo milk production in rural Punjab.&#x0D; Implications: Economic analysis of dairy farming is very important to know about the economic viability of dairy enterprises. The profitability from dairying depends upon the milk yield of dairy animals, the sale price of milk, and the cost involved in dairying. Adequate knowledge of the cost involved in dairying is important as it can be used for policy-making and also for providing incentives to dairy farmers.

Large-scale photovoltaic solar farms in the Sahara affect solar power generation potential globally

Globally, solar projects are being rapidly built or planned, particularly in high solar potential regions with high energy demand. However, their energy generation potential is highly related to the weather condition. Here we use state-of-the-art Earth system model simulations to investigate how large photovoltaic solar farms in the Sahara Desert could impact the global cloud cover and solar generation potential through disturbed atmospheric teleconnections. The results indicate negative impacts on solar potential in North Africa (locally), Middle East, Southern Europe, India, Eastern China, Japan, Eastern Australia, and Southwestern US, and positive impacts in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Central & Eastern US, Scandinavia and South Africa, reaching a magnitude of ±5% in remote regions seasonally. Diagnostics suggest that large-scale atmospheric circulation changes are responsible for the global impacts. International cooperation is essential to mitigate the potential risks of future large-scale solar projects in drylands, which could impact energy production.

Analysis on Driving Factors, Reduction Potential, and Environmental Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer Input in Chongqing

In this study, we sought to quantify the effect of planting structure change on fertilizer input and environmental cost in Chongqing and develop scientific and rational strategies for chemical fertilizer reduction. Based on the crop fertilizer quota standard and large sample farmer survey data under the medium productivity level in Chongqing, we evaluated and analyzed the application reduction potential and environmental benefits of fertilizer with the difference method and life cycle assessment. The results showed that:① since Chongqing became a municipality directly under the central government (1997), Chongqing crop planting structure had greatly changed, and the proportion of food crop (rice, corn, wheat, bean, and potato) decreased by 21%. The area of fruits and vegetables increased from 3.36×105 hm2 to 1.05×106 hm2, and their proportion increased by 20%. ② Nearly 55% of fertilizers had been consumed by vegetable (37%) and citrus production systems, and 11%, 12%, and 12% of fertilizers were consumed by rice, corn, and potato, respectively. ③ The total fertilizer reduction of the Chongqing planting industry could reach up to 1.69×105 tons during the period of "the 14th Five-Year Plan," with a fertilizer reduction potential of 18.6%. The fertilizer reduction potential (reduction amount) of rice, corn, citrus, and vegetables would reach 0.3% (2.9×102 tons), 12% (1.45×104 tons), 21% (3.65×104 tons), and 30% (1.18×105 tons), respectively. On the other hand, the rape system was insufficient in phosphorus potassium fertilizers, and the corn tended to be insufficient in potash fertilizer. ④ The current production level was low, and the nitrogen loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and eutrophication potential in the planting industry of Chongqing reached 1.81×105 tons (N), 1.43×107 tons (CO2-eq), and 1.74×105 tons (PO4-eq). With the increase in the realization degree of the crop quota standard (60%-100%), the reactive nitrogen loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and eutrophication potential decreased by 14.9%-24.9%, 10.1%-16.7%, and 13.8%-23%, respectively. The structure of the planting industry in Chongqing significantly changed, the total fertilizer consumption in Chongqing tended to decline gradually, and the fertilization intensity of commercial crops stayed at a high level. The agricultural fertilizer reduction potential and the reactive nitrogen and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential were large, especially for citrus and vegetable production systems. However, it is also necessary to pay attention to insufficient corn potash fertilizer and rape phosphorus potassium fertilizer investment and carry out collaborative promotion of fertilizer reduction.

Cooperation Strategy Between Large Agricultural Households and Farmers' Market Based on Evolutionary Game

With the continuous development of China's agriculture, individual farmers are increasingly integrating into the supply chain of agricultural products, leading to the emergence of "large agricultural households" in the agricultural market. These large households monopolize the local market by purchasing agricultural products from individual farmers, thereby greatly influencing the diversity of product types and brand image in the agricultural market. In this study, we utilize evolutionary game theory to construct a model that explores the cooperative evolution between large agricultural households and agricultural markets under limited rationality. We analyze the evolutionary process of the cooperative strategies between the two parties and validate the game results through Matlab simulation. The findings reveal that the decision of whether or not large agricultural households cooperate with agricultural markets is affected by various factors, such as the benefits and costs associated with cooperation, as well as the potential losses resulting from non-cooperation. As a result, agricultural markets can implement measures, such as establishing effective information sharing and communication coordination mechanisms, and reducing cooperation costs with large agricultural households, to attract and retain them.

Peasant Productivity and Welfare in The Middle Ages and Beyond

Abstract Driven by the quality of sources rather than their representativeness, the history of English agriculture has been written primarily from the perspective of well-documented large farms to the neglect of smallholders and cottagers who for centuries cultivated the greater part of the nation’s farmland but left scant records. The superb series recording the mediocre and low crop yields of the expansive demesnes of great lords has long been adopted for the productivity of all medieval England’s arable and is deeply embedded in economic and social histories and calculations of economic growth and the welfare of the population. Yet no convincing justification for this supposition has ever been made, and an increasing flow of research and analysis indicates that the productivity of land varied markedly in accordance with the size and function of farms, with the output per acre of large farms constrained by the need to control costs in order to sell surpluses at a profit, while smallholders, at the cost of low and frequently abysmal labour productivity, produced higher yields by striving to maximize output using abundant family labour to secure subsistence from meagre acreages. An appraisal of farming across the centuries and the continents from the Middle Ages to modern times clearly shows that an inverse relationship generally prevailed between farm size and land productivity.

Analysis of the effectiveness of lightning and surge protection in a large solar farm

Analysis of the effectiveness of lightning and surge protection in a large solar farm

Suitability of Large Cardamom Farming as Business in Eastern Corridor of Nepal

Background: Black gold popularly renounced for Large cardamom which is world’s oldest and third expensive spice following, saffron and vanilla. The study was to assess suitability of large cardamom farming as business in eastern Nepal. Methods: Eastern Nepal, subdivided as Koshi corridor (Sankhuwasaba and Tehrathum) and Mechi corridor (Taplejung and Panchthar), were purposively selected as a research site. About 480 Households were selected randomly. An interview schedule was prepared for cost of production and other expenses incurred along with production and price received by farmers. Result: During the 7-year cycle, the total fixed cost was NRs 115,663. The breakeven point for large cardamom was calculated to be 157.45 kg. The average price per kilogram of large cardamom was NRs 1274.6. The average variable cost per kilogram of large cardamom was NRs 621.01. Financial indicator like net present value (NPV), benefit cost ratio (BCR) and internal rate of return (IRR) were 1,536,006, 2.14 and 71.31. The Return on Investment (ROI) and Payback period (PBP) were 138.45 and 5.6 years. Under worse scenario, The NPV declined to 977,115.1, the BCR fell to 1.60, the IRR fell to 50.02 and the ROI fell to 78.84. The PBP has risen to 6.8 years. This scenario demonstrated that simultaneous negative increases in cost and income had a greater impact on the profitability of large cardamom farming. Finally, the study’s findings highlighted the sensitivity of financial indicators in large cardamom farming to changes in production costs, income and delays. This helpful information could be used by stakeholders to make decisions and develop strategies to improve sustainability of large cardamom growing in the research area.

The Profit Potential of Layer Poultry Farms: A Case Study of the Largest Egg Producing Indian State

In this investigation, an attempt was made to analyse the economic viability of poultry layer farms in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The investigation was based on primary data collected from 90 poultry farmers from two randomly selected mandals of East Godavari district by interviewing the respondents during 2018-19. The result revealed that the investment made per bird was `138.15 for the overall category, while for small, medium and large farms, it was found to be `165.81, 162.22, and 130.91, respectively. Per 100 eggs, the production cost was `340 for the whole sample and `368.11, 356.39 and 336.18 for different size groups of farms under investigation. Gross and net returns per 100 eggs were `423.07 and 3.06, respectively, for the sample as a whole. Average gross and net returns per layer were worked out to be `1308.37 and 256.89, respectively. Benefit-Cost (B: C) ratios were 1.21 and 1.19 for the sample as a whole at discount rates of 12 and 18 per cent, respectively. All farm size groups obtained positive Net Present Value (NPV). Internal Rate of Returns (IRR) was 30.79 in overall farms, whereas IRR was estimated to be 28.66, 29.60 and 31.03 in small, medium and large farms. Hence, layer farms were found to be financially viable and profitable for all groups of layer farms. Keywords: B-C ratio, costs and returns, establishment costs, internal rate of return, net present value. JEL Codes: D24, D25, D57, D61.

Perinatal mortality in German dairy cattle: Unveiling the importance of cow-level risk factors and their interactions using a multifaceted modelling approach.

Perinatal mortality (PM) is a common issue on dairy farms, leading to calf losses and increased farming costs. The current knowledge about PM in dairy cattle is, however, limited and previous studies lack comparability. The topic has also primarily been studied in Holstein-Friesian cows and closely related breeds, while other dairy breeds have been largely ignored. Different data collection techniques, definitions of PM, studied variables and statistical approaches further limit the comparability and interpretation of previous studies. This article aims to investigate the factors contributing to PM in two underexplored breeds, Simmental (SIM) and Brown Swiss (BS), while comparing them to German Holstein on German farms, and to employ various modelling techniques to enhance comparability to other studies, and to determine if different statistical methods yield consistent results. A total of 133,942 calving records from 131,657 cows on 721 German farms were analyzed. Amongst these, the proportion of PM (defined as stillbirth or death up to 48 hours of age) was 6.1%. Univariable and multivariable mixed-effects logistic regressions, random forest and multimodel inference via brute-force model selection approaches were used to evaluate risk factors on the individual animal level. Although the balanced random forest did not incorporate the random effect, it yielded results similar to those of the mixed-effect model. The brute-force approach surpassed the widely adopted backwards variable selection method and represented a combination of strengths: it accounted for the random effect similar to mixed-effects regression and generated a variable importance plot similar to random forest. The difficulty of calving, breed and parity of the cow were found to be the most important factors, followed by farm size and season. Additionally, four significant interactions amongst predictors were identified: breed-calving ease, breed-season, parity-season and calving ease-farm size. The combination of factors, such as secondiparous SIM breed on small farms and experiencing easy calving in summer, showed the lowest probability of PM. Conversely, primiparous GH cows on large farms with difficult calving in winter exhibited the highest probability of PM. In order to reduce PM, appropriate management of dystocia, optimal heifer management and a wider use of SIM in dairy production are possible ways forward. It is also important that future studies are conducted to identify farm-specific contributors to higher PM on large farms.