Livestock Statistics Research Articles

Supporting Mongolian pastoralists by using GIS to identify grazing limitations and opportunities from livestock census and remote sensing data

Since 1990, Mongolia has experienced a radical change away from centralized livestock production to more traditional rangeland management practices. As the herders now have increased access to the pastures, they need to be able to evaluate the sustainable level of exploitation of the rangeland. This paper demonstrates how pertinent information on the state of the rangeland resources can be made available to herdsmen by using a Geographical Information System (GIS). The focus is on the importance of having a sound data and information framework when assessing rangeland resources. The three main requirements are: first, knowledge of the production system; second, a natural resource inventory; and third, an assessment of the natural resource exploitation. Workshops held in the field brought together herdsmen, administrators, scientists and project personnel to identify and discuss issues of range management. From topographic maps, a digital elevation model was created using GIS, which together with a recent land-cover map elaborated from a SPOT satellite image made it possible to map the important areas suitable for winter grazing. The exact locations of the family winter settlements were recorded and linked to annual livestock statistics using GIS to identify the areas being grazed and to calculate the stocking rates by household. It was shown for the administrative unit of Arbayasgalan that the ratio of stocking rates to carrying capacity exceeded one, which indicates overstocking. However, the uneven distribution of grazing pressure over the study area enabled the proposal of actions to mitigate serious overgrazing. A discussion of range management practices was facilitated by providing the herdsmen with information on the extent and location of the problem.

An analysis of agricultural livestock and traditional crop production statistics as a function of total annual and early, mid and late rainy season rainfall in Botswana

Total rainfall amounts are usually not considered as useful indicators for agricultural season qualities because they do not reflect other parameters such as rainfall distribution, crop water requirements and soil moisture-holding capacities. Most methods that also take into account the above parameters have not been validated for Botswana because of the country's restricted meteorological network and because of the non-availability of the necessary soil data. Rainfall alone is, therefore, one of the most frequently used parameters in drought monitoring and quality assessments of agricultural seasons and provides essential, but rough information several months before the real agricultural production data have become available. In this paper, Botswana's national cattle herd size between 1965 and 1985, regional cattle death ratios and regional traditional crop production between 1979 and 1985 have been analysed as a function of total annual and early, mid and late rainy season rainfall as defined by Bhalotra (1985a). It was found that in Botswana, with marginal rainy season conditions both for cattle and crops, such an analysis can be used as a useful indicator for the agricultural quality of a rainy season. To obtain an indicator of the season quality for livestock performance, a weighted average for the past three seasons and for October December (early), January February (mid) and March-April (late) rainfall has to be used. A good indicator for the crop season quality can be obtained from a weighted average of early, mid and late rainfall of the actual season. These indicators cannot, however, be used as indices to forecast livestock condition or crop production, but only to carry out acceptable assessments of rainy season conditions on a subnational or areal scale.

Livestock and meat statistics, 1983

Livestock and meat statistics, 1983

Discussion: Valuation of Crop and Livestock Reports: Methodological Issues and Questions

Little theoretical research on the gains and question two, Bullock et al. examine cases in losses from statistical forecasts has been con- which they assume that producers, collectively, ducted, and the authors are to be commended for either under-report or over-report planned protheir thought-provoking paper on this topic. The duction in an attempt to bias the USDA foreliterature from the past decade includes an article casts. by Hayami and Peterson, two articles by Bul- The authors admit at the outset that only a lock, and a survey article by Mann. Hayami and partial analysis is intended, that of changes in Peterson attempted to measure the marginal so- producer welfare. If producers gain, consumers cial returns of reducing the sampling error of may lose. However, they say nothing about net crop and livestock statistics reported by USDA. societal gains or losses from the forecasts. The Bullock (1976) examined the social cost resulting gainer-loser issue must wait for a future paper. from production changes generated by forecasts. Hayami and Peterson concluded that the social return from collecting and reporting production FINDINGS information easily exceeded the cost of such research. Their results, although very aggregative, I found the paper convincing on four conclusuggested there is an underinvestment in the sions, although I disagree with minor points in provision of agricultural information services. interpretation and will discuss them below. The Bullock concluded that, while accurate fore- four most important conclusions, in my opinion, casts are preferable to inaccurate forecasts, large are:

Development of Dairy Farming in Mississippi

C OMMERCIAL dairy farming and other land use practices instigated during the 1930's are continuing to play important roles in the agricultural economy of the Cotton Belt, despite the fact that wartime economy has once more restored King Cotton to his throne. This is significant, especially since it is doubtful whether or not this old monarch will continue to dominate the national consumer market after the war. To prepare to meet any such post-war decline in the cotton market, therefore, diversified agriculture should be encouraged, and a further development of dairy farming should be stressed. The spread of commercial dairy farming in areas south of the MasonDixon Line is of geographic interest, if only because this region has long been considered unfavorable for animal husbandry. The hot summers are harmful to many well-known breeds of beef and dairy cattle, and the heavy precipitation does not permit timothy hay to be cured satisfactorily. In addition, the region lacks large metropolitan centers which, in the north Atlantic and middle western states, serve as markets for fluid milk, cream, butter, cheese, and meat products. In spite of these handicaps, however, large herds of dairy cattle may now be seen in areas formerly dominated by cotton. This shift from plantation agriculture to commercial dairy farming is particularly widespread in Mississippi. Recent crop and livestock statistics for this state show marked decreases in cotton production. At the same time, they indicate significant increases in (1) the number of acres of hay and other forage crops, (2) the number of dairy cows and gallons of milk produced since 1929, (3) the percentage of dairy cows in the livestock total, (4) the number of farms on which cows are milked, and (5) the number of creameries, condensaries, and cheese plants throughout the state. Obviously, these changes are indicative of both the absolute and relative importance of dairying in the farm economy.