Livestock Stakeholders Research Articles

Enhancing Animal Production through Smart Agriculture: Possibilities, Hurdles, Resolutions, and Advantages

Smart livestock farming utilizes technology to enhance production and meet food demand sustainably. This study employs surveys and case studies to gather data and information, subsequently analyzing it to identify opportunities and challenges. The proposed solutions encompass remote sensing, technology integration, farmer education, and stakeholder engagement. The research delves into smart technologies in animal production, addressing opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions. Smart agriculture employs modern technology to improve efficiency, sustainability, and animal welfare in livestock farming. This includes remote monitoring, GPS-based animal care, robotic milking, smart health collars, predictive disease control, and other innovations. Despite the great promise of smart animal production, there are existing challenges such as cost, data management, and connectivity. To overcome these challenges, potential solutions involve remote sensing, technology integration, and farmer education. Smart agriculture provides opportunities for increased efficiency, improved animal welfare, and enhanced environmental conservation. A well-planned approach is crucial to maximize the benefits of smart livestock production while ensuring its long-term sustainability. This study confirms the growing adoption of smart agriculture in livestock production, with the potential to support the sustainable development goals and deliver benefits such as increased productivity and resource efficiency. To fully realize these benefits and ensure the sustainability of livestock farming, addressing cost and education challenges is essential. Therefore, this study recommends promoting a positive outlook among livestock stakeholders and embracing smart agriculture to enhance farm performance.

Climate Change-Related Hazards and Livestock Industry Performance in (Peri-)Urban Areas: A Case of the City of Masvingo, Zimbabwe

In an effort to improve their quality of life and battle poverty, many urban residents are turning to agriculture as an alternative source of income, employment, and food security. However, climate-related hazards such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts have had an effect on urban agriculture. The purpose of this study was to determine how climate change-related hazards affected the urban livestock industry in Masvingo City. These researchers administered a structured questionnaire on urban livestock farmers, the results of which were triangulated with in-depth interviews with livestock stakeholders. The results show that the urban livestock industry is significantly impacted by climate-related hazards. Farmers lose livestock to diseases, poor pastures, and extreme weather conditions. Furthermore, the hazards badly affect the storage and distribution of livestock products, the labour supply and productivity, and the profitability of livestock enterprises. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the urban livestock industry and climate change-related hazards. The results are significant to policy makers and livestock stakeholders to understand climate change effects on the urban livestock sector so as to formulate mitigation, adaptation, and coping strategies against any adverse effects. This paper is a foundation for future studies and these researchers suggest that future studies be on location-specific adaptation strategies.

Relative perceptions of prevalence, impact and importance of photosensitisation in Australian livestock: A survey of veterinarians, livestock traders and livestock producers.

AimsTo investigate the relative differences in the perceptions and awareness of outbreaks of photosensitisation in Australian livestock stakeholders, including veterinarians, livestock traders and producers.MethodsA questionnaire was developed and circulated to livestock veterinarians, producers and traders in Australia via email addresses obtained from public access sources. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate participants' awareness and perception of health, welfare, and production issues associated with outbreaks of photosensitisation and towards the incidence and importance of photosensitisation in livestock.ResultsOne hundred and twenty‐eight online responses were received in total. Nearly half of the respondents (49.0%) indicated they would encounter 1–3 outbreaks annually. The majority of veterinarian and livestock producers stated that outbreaks of photosensitisation were common and economically important, with cattle and sheep being equally considered as susceptible species to this condition, and secondary (hepatogeneous) photosensitisation is the most common type.ConclusionThis survey confirms the anecdotal evidence that photosensitisation in livestock in Australia is commonly encountered by veterinarians and livestock producers. However, there is no industry‐wide common acceptance of the issue, broader opinions should be canvassed when considering impacts on stakeholders regarding photosensitisation outbreaks in livestock in Australia or abroad in the future.

Towards an Integrated Mobile Technology on Animal Disease Surveillance Framework in Tanzania: A Systematic Review

Tanzanian Government, through its national audit office in March 2020, reported the prevalence decline of two animal diseases, namely; Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP). Similarly, an increase in three animal diseases, which are African Swine Fever (ASV), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). The national audit office mentioned inadequate animal disease surveillance system in the country was among the challenges that hinder diseases control. Therefore, this study reviews the existing animal diseases surveillance systems global and suggests measures to enhance animal diseases surveillance systems in Tanzania. This review focuses on the possibility of sharing surveillance data among livestock stakeholders (including livestock keepers) in Tanzania, considering available resources such as animal diseases existing prediction models and mobile-based surveillance systems. Also, the availability of mobile technologies such as Short Message Service (SMS), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and automatic voice calls (Robocalls). Reviews synthesize the previous studies to explore strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and challenges for better future interventions through proper and timely information sharing. This study selected 46 records from the 147 identified for review. The selected records include 24 from bibliographic databases, 14 from full-text journals and other non-bibliographic databases, and 8 from the open search on websites

A Proposed Information System for Communicating Foot-and-Mouth Disease Events among Livestock Stakeholders in Gairo District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is present in many countries globally, including Tanzania, especially Gairo district. The data shows that 78% of livestock keepers in Gairo district had already observed FMD infection in their cattle, and the pastoral communities were mostly affected. Currently, vaccination is the main tool for controlling FMD because there are no therapeutic intervention tools. Therefore, effective communication among livestock stakeholders can be used as an essential tool of preparedness for the disease’s impact. This study had two specific objectives: (i) to explore the challenges of communicating FMD events among livestock keepers and other livestock stakeholders in Gairo district and (ii) to propose an information system for sharing FMD events among the livestock stakeholders in Gairo district. The study found that there was a delay when communicating FMD events in Gairo district due to the long chain of information flow. Therefore, the system aims to reduce the communication chain by allowing livestock keepers to report disease outbreaks directly to the system. Livestock keepers may also access FMD precaution measures, negative impacts, clinical signs transmission ways, and current outbreaks directly from the system using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Short Message Services (SMS), robocalls, and feature phones. The system also provides a common platform for sharing FMD outbreaks data and events to other stakeholders based on the system’s privileges. In this study, a closed-ended interview using a questionnaire was used for data collection. The PHP hypertext processor, jQuery, HTML, JSON, JavaScript, Apache web server, and MySQL database were used for developing the system.

BEEP: An advisory pig welfare assessment tool developed by farmers for farmers

Farm animal welfare is now an obvious goal for all livestock stakeholders. However, the ways to improve it are neither easy nor evident for animal caretakers or their advisers. Most welfare assessment tools are not designed to be used by farmers but by scientists, vets, breeding advisers or certification bodies. Our project hypothesised that animal welfare could be improved more markedly if farmers could assess the welfare of their pigs themselves, and discuss it with their breeding advisers. Sixteen voluntary farmers, five voluntary breeding advisers, three scientific experts on pig welfare, a pig veterinarian and a specialist in co-design worked together to develop a pig welfare evaluation tool that could be used for self-assessment on pig farms. The tool was constructed in four steps: 1) identifying pig welfare indicators, 2) selecting the best indicators and developing a measurement protocol, 3) testing the tool on farms, 4) giving farmers feedback and validating the tool. All the steps were carried out through working groups. Discussions on welfare indicators led to a list of the most important indicators according to the farmers and advisers, focusing on Welfare Quality® Protocol items “good feeding, good housing, good health and appropriate behaviour”. To be useful on farms, each indicator selected was reformulated into one or more measurements. The tool, known as “BEEP”, currently consists of a folder of documents to be brought onto farms. It focuses only on growing pigs and was designed to take no more than two hours to implement. The BEEP tool makes farmers aware of animal welfare issues and helps them to improve the welfare of their livestock. BEEP is currently being disseminated in France, where the farmers are trained to use it. It is positively welcomed by other farmers and their representatives as it was developed with and for farmers. The next step is to develop an electronic application.

Motivations for Industry Stakeholders in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to Improve Livestock Welfare

Simple SummaryAnimal welfare is a global issue that is important to civilians in many countries. Despite this, large gaps exist between practices as recommended by a scientific understanding of farm animal welfare; the expectations and understanding of society at large; and the realities within livestock industries across the world. The reasons for this are as numerous as they are challenging to overcome, however, understanding what might motivate key stakeholders to make improvements could form a base from which to begin. The livestock industry are arguably the most important stakeholders with the capacity to make meaningful choices that impact the welfare of animals, yet seldom are they consulted as to why they might make choices that either improve or threaten the welfare of the animals. This study aimed to collect information about the motivations and barriers to improve animal welfare from leaders in the livestock industry. A complex relationship of motivators is uncovered, and the importance of factors such as financial benefit and food safety is discussed. Figures are presented to begin illustrating the relationship between motivators. The findings of this study serve to better understand the motivations of livestock stakeholders in these key Asian nations, and the barriers that may prevent them from making choices that improve the welfare of the animals.Understanding what might motivate livestock stakeholders to improve animal welfare is useful information when developing initiatives that benefit from stakeholder engagement. This study was designed to assess the strength of motivating drivers in the development of attitudes to animal welfare, and the factors that impacted their ability to improve animal welfare. During a series of qualitative focus group sessions with livestock leaders across the same countries (Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Thailand), the current study presented livestock leaders (n = 139) with the most significant results in their country, and collected data pertaining to the meaning and applicability of these results. This data was then subject to thematic analysis to identify salient and repeated motivating factors and meanings. This process revealed a complex picture of relationships between motivators and the contexts that drive them. Figures are presented to begin illustrating these relationships. Some strong motivators were uncovered that were previously rated low in the survey (i.e., financial benefit) or not included at all (e.g., food safety). This paper also presents the opportunity to better understand the strength and relationship of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational forces behind animal welfare improvement.

Livestock Stakeholder Willingness to Embrace Preslaughter Stunning in Key Asian Countries.

Simple SummaryPreslaughter stunning is a technical process by which animals are rendered unconscious prior to slaughter, as to avoid the pain and fear of being slaughtered. While it is a legislative requirement in some countries, it is not yet regularly practised in many countries. To better understand why this might be the case, this study conducted focus group sessions with leaders from the livestock industries in China, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Leaders were asked to rate the willingness of livestock stakeholders to adopt preslaughter stunning, in addition to their suggested solutions for increasing the level of willingness, and their thoughts as to why they were or were not willing to adopt stunning. This data was analysed and presented within this manuscript. The findings were specific to each country, with similar themes shared across some of the countries. The findings of this study may aid in the development of programs that aim to increase the adoption of preslaughter stunning practices, with the purpose of improving animal welfare during slaughter.Preslaughter stunning; the induction of unconsciousness and insensibility of animals prior to slaughter, is an important process for the welfare of livestock. The application of stunning is required by legislation in some countries, and rarely practised in others. In order to effectively advocate the implementation of stunning in the regions that do not include the practice as standard, it is first important to understand attitudes towards stunning, barriers to implementing stunning, and stakeholder willingness to embrace the practice. To this purpose, 17 focus group sessions were held with leaders in livestock production in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh. Leaders were asked to rate their perceived willingness of livestock stakeholders to embrace stunning, and their rationales were discussed. In addition to this, the leaders were asked to present ideas to improve the willingness of stakeholders to embrace stunning. The data were qualitatively analysed used thematic analysis, quantified, and presented within this manuscript. Importantly, different attitudes and solutions existed by country, mostly in line with the predominating religion within the country, and the stage of economic development. Concerns around nonstatic and constantly evolving animal welfare benchmarks were also presented as important factors impacting the adoption of stunning, and the technical methods used. The findings of this study may aid in the development of programs that aim to increase the adoption of preslaughter stunning practices, to the purpose of improving animal welfare during slaughter.

The Benefits of Improving Animal Welfare from the Perspective of Livestock Stakeholders across Asia.

Simple SummaryA previous study into successful international animal welfare management strategy presented the vital need for animal welfare proponents to establish mutual benefits with the livestock industry. What the perceived benefits to addressing farm animal welfare are, is therefore important information not previously researched. This study asked leaders in the livestock industry in regions across six Asian countries what they saw as the key benefits for improving animal welfare, and which of those benefits they found the most compelling. The potentials to increase productivity of the animals and improve meat quality were among the most frequently cited and most highly rated across the countries. Important differences in the focus of other benefits existed by country, with food safety of highest importance in China and Vietnam, and people-focused benefits (such as human health and improved community livelihood) of greater importance in countries with higher rates of poverty such as India and Bangladesh. Animal-based reasons, such as improving animal welfare to the benefit of the animals themselves, were not compelling benefits in any of the investigated countries, other than India. The results of this study could assist in the development of improved animal welfare strategies.In this study, 17 focus group meetings were held with livestock industry leaders in geographically dispersed areas of China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh, regarding animal welfare issues, potential solutions and attitudes. Livestock leaders were asked ‘what do you see as the benefits to improving animal welfare’ and later to discuss the potential benefits and rank them according to their associated importance. While differences existed by country, the most important perceived benefit area across all countries was financial in nature, primarily focussed on the potential to increase the productive output of the animals and to improve meat and product quality. However, doubt existed around the ability to increase profit against the cost of improving animal welfare, particularly in China. Human health benefits and the tie to human welfare and community livelihood were considered most important in India and Bangladesh, and animal-focussed benefits were not significant in any countries, except India and, to a lesser extent, Bangladesh. Thus, improving animal welfare for the sake of the animals is unlikely to be a compelling argument. The results presented here can be used to create meaningful mutual ground between those that advocate improvement of animal welfare and the stakeholders that have the ability to implement it, i.e., the livestock industry.

Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins.

This paper offers a critical examination of the narrative landscape that has emerged with a new movement of alternative proteins intended as substitutes for conventional meat, milk and other animal-based food products. The alternative protein approaches analysed include edible insects, plant-based proteins and cellular agriculture, the latter of which encompasses ‘cultured’ or ‘clean’ meat, milk and egg products produced in vitro via cell-science methods. We build on previous research that has analysed the promissory narratives specific to cultured/clean meat by examining the key promises that have worked across the broader alternative protein movement. In doing so, we develop a five-fold typology that outlines the distinct yet interconnected claims that have operated in alternative protein promotional discourses to date. The second part of the paper examines the counter-narratives that have emerged in response to alternative protein claims from different stakeholders linked to conventional livestock production. We offer a second typology of three counter-narratives that have so far characterised these responses. Through mapping this narrative landscape, we show how different types of ‘goodness’ have been ascribed by alternative protein and conventional livestock stakeholders to their respective approaches. Moreover, our analysis reveals a series of tensions underpinning these contested food futures, many of which have long histories in broader debates over what constitutes better (protein) food production and consumption. The paper's discussion contributes to ongoing research across the social sciences on the ontological politics of (good) food, and the key role of narratives in constructing and contesting visions of ‘better’ food futures.

Turning Intentions into Animal Welfare Improvement in the Asian Livestock Sector

ABSTRACTIntentions form the basis of behavioral action to improve animal welfare; however an intention-behavior gap has been previously identified. Livestock stakeholders in China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand (n = 1041) involved in slaughter and transport completed a survey in which they were asked their level of intention to improve animal welfare, and their level of confidence in their ability to do this. Chinese respondents had the most confidence in their ability to improve animal welfare, and veterinarians showed more confidence than livestock team leaders. Those with high or low intentions, and either high or low confidences were compared for key influencing factors to identify the circumstances that may be most conducive to behavior change. Respondents with high intentions and low confidence in their ability to improve animal welfare identified extrinsic factors associated with their immediate workplace and different company priorities, and the intrinsic factor of lack of personal knowledge. It is concluded that targeting these areas to improve confidence in stakeholders in livestock transport and slaughter could bring the most improvements in animal welfare initiatives.

Assessment of roundworm species prevalence in cattle, sheep and goats slaughtered at Lafia Abattoir, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Intestinal parasites pose a great constraint to livestock production and cause high incidence of mortality and low production in livestock. This study was designed to identify the roundworm species infections in cattle, sheep and goats that were slaughtered at Lafia abattoir during the rainy seasonwithr  theidespread of the infections  and the methodology used was  (April to June, 2016). The aim was to sensitize livestock stakeholders to strategize effective means of disrupting the life cycles of the roundworms in order to prevent their widespread within the herds. Faecal samples were collected from 22 cattle, 25 sheep and 23 goats and were examined by simple floatation method and microscopy for the presence of roundworms. Results showed that out of a total of 70 animals examined, 36 representing 51.4% of the animals were infected with various species of roundworms. Those found in the animals examined included Haemonchus contortus, Bunostomum phlebotomum, Ascaris suum and Neoascaris vitulorum. It was observed that both sexes of all the animal breeds examined were infected, though males were more susceptible than the females. Animals in all the age categories were infected and those on extensive management system were more infected than those in semi-intensive. Since different species of roundworms were found in cattle, sheep and goats slaughtered at Lafia abattoir, it indicated that there was probably high prevalent rate of roundworms in the area. More so, mixed species infection of Ascaris suum and Neoascaris vitulorum were recorded in goats, suggesting severe burden that may hinder optimum physiological performance. It could be necessary therefore to advise that careful disposal of the gastrointestinal contents, regular deworming, implementation of strict biosecurity measures and intensive animal production system should be adopted in the study area. This may disrupt the life cycles of the roundworm species thus, preventing parasitic infections from spreading to other animals in the study area.

The Impact of Stakeholders' Roles within the Livestock Industry on Their Attitudes to Livestock Welfare in Southeast and East Asia.

Simple SummaryImproving stakeholder attitudes to livestock welfare may help to facilitate the better welfare that is increasingly demanded by the public for livestock. Knowledge of the existing attitudes towards the welfare of livestock during transport and slaughter provides a starting point that may help to target efforts. We compared the attitudes of different stakeholders within the livestock industries in east (E) and southeast (SE) Asia. Farmers were more motivated to improve animal welfare during transport and slaughter by peer pressure, business owners by monetary gain, and business managers by what is prescribed by their company. Veterinarians showed the most support for improving animal welfare. The results suggest that the role that stakeholders play in their sector of the livestock industry must be considered when attempting to change attitudes towards animal welfare during transport and slaughter. Stakeholders in the livestock industry are in a position to make critical choices that directly impact on animal welfare during slaughter and transport. Understanding the attitudes of stakeholders in livestock-importing countries, including factors that motivate the stakeholders to improve animal welfare, can lead to improved trade relations with exporting developed countries and improved animal welfare initiatives in the importing countries. Improving stakeholder attitudes to livestock welfare may help to facilitate the better welfare that is increasingly demanded by the public for livestock. Knowledge of the existing attitudes towards the welfare of livestock during transport and slaughter provides a starting point that may help to target efforts. This study aimed to investigate the animal welfare attitudes of livestock stakeholders (farmers, team leaders, veterinarians, business owners, business managers, and those working directly with animals) in selected countries in E and SE Asia (China, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Malaysia). The factors that motivated them to improve animal welfare (in particular their religion, knowledge levels, monetary gain, the availability of tools and resources, more pressing community issues, and the approval of their supervisor and peers) were assessed for their relationships to stakeholder role and ranked according to their importance. Stakeholder roles influenced attitudes to animal welfare during livestock transport and slaughter. Farmers were more motivated by their peers compared to other stakeholders. Business owners reported higher levels of motivation from monetary gain, while business managers were mainly motivated by what was prescribed by the company for which they worked. Veterinarians reported the highest levels of perceived approval for improving animal welfare, and all stakeholder groups were least likely to be encouraged to change by a ‘western’ international organization. This study demonstrates the differences in attitudes of the major livestock stakeholders towards their animals’ welfare during transport and slaughter, which advocacy organisations can use to tailor strategies more effectively to improve animal welfare. The results suggest that animal welfare initiatives are more likely to engage their target audience when tailored to specific stakeholder groups.

Epidemiological investigation of bovine tuberculosis outbreaks in Uruguay (2011–2013)

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic disease of cattle caused by infection with the Mycobacterium bovis. While bTB prevalence in Uruguay has been low (<11 outbreaks/year) for the past 50 years as a consequence of a national control program, annual incidence increased in 2011 through 2013–15, 26 and 16 infected herds each year, raising concerns from livestock stakeholders and the government. The goal of this study was to assess the spatial dynamics of bTB in Uruguay from 2011 to 2013 and the association between bTB and potential demographic and movement risk factors at the herd level using data provided by the Uruguayan Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries. Clustering of incident outbreaks was assessed using the Cuzick-Edwards’ test and the Bernoulli model of the spatial scan statistic, and a conditional multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess risk factors associated with bTB in a subset of Uruguayan dairy farms. Significant (P<0.05) global clustering was detected in 2012, while high-risk local clusters were detected in southwestern (2011, 2012, 2013), northwestern (2012), and southeastern (2012) Uruguay. Increased risk of bTB in different regions of Uruguay suggests a potential role of animal movements in disease dissemination. Larger herds, higher numbers of animals purchased, and incoming steers to the farm were associated with increased odds of breaking with bTB, in agreement with previous studies but also suggesting other additional sources of risk. These results will contribute to enhanced effectiveness of bTB control programs in Uruguay with the ultimate objective of preventing or mitigating the impact of the disease in the human and animal populations of the country.

A Review of Hypothesized Determinants Associated with Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Die-Offs.

Multiple determinants have been hypothesized to cause or favor disease outbreaks among free-ranging bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations. This paper considered direct and indirect causes of mortality, as well as potential interactions among proposed environmental, host, and agent determinants of disease. A clear, invariant relationship between a single agent and field outbreaks has not yet been documented, in part due to methodological limitations and practical challenges associated with developing rigorous study designs. Therefore, although there is a need to develop predictive models for outbreaks and validated mitigation strategies, uncertainty remains as to whether outbreaks are due to endemic or recently introduced agents. Consequently, absence of established and universal explanations for outbreaks contributes to conflict among wildlife and livestock stakeholders over land use and management practices. This example illustrates the challenge of developing comprehensive models for understanding and managing wildlife diseases in complex biological and sociological environments.

Economic valuation of sheep genetic resources: implications for sustainable utilization in the Kenyan semi-arid tropics

Sheep, recognised as one of the important livestock species especially in the semi-arid tropics with high genetic resource potentials, can be exploited through sustainable utilization in order to improve livestock keepers' livelihoods. This study presents the evaluation of the economic values of sheep genetic resources (SGR) in terms of the important non-market traits embedded in sheep and how this information can be utilised to improve livelihoods in semi-arid regions. The results obtained from mixed logit models results derived from stated choice data collected from 157 respondents in the semi-arid Marsabit district of Kenya reveal that disease resistance is the most highly valued trait whose resultant increment results into a welfare improvement of up to KShs.1537. Drought tolerance and fat deposition traits were found to be implicitly valued at KShs.694 and 738 respectively. The results further point out that for livestock stakeholders to effectively improve the livelihoods of poor livestock-keepers, development strategies for improving the management and/or utilisation of SGR in terms of drought tolerance, should not only be tailor made to target regions that are frequently devastated by drought but should also succeed other strategies or efforts that would first lead to the improvement of producers' economic status.