Medium-scale Farms Research Articles

Pre-weaned dairy calf management practices, morbidity and mortality of bovine respiratory disease and diarrhea in China

Controlling disease, maintaining animal well-being, and sustaining production efficiency in Chinese dairy industry will depend on whether enough of China's dairy farmers can adopt proper calf management practices. Consequently, to provide insights into a number of beneficial management practices used by many Chinese dairy farmers, ninety-eight dairy farms, located in the country's three typical climate zones (severe cold zone, SCZ; cold zone, CZ; and hot-summer/cold-winter zone, HSCWZ) were surveyed. The various management practices employed and the morbidity and mortality rates caused by bovine respiratory disease and diarrhea were recorded at each investigated farm. About three quarters of the calves on these farms were housed indoors (either individually or in group pens). The proportion of the calves reared in separate pens (individual indoor or outdoor hutches) was highest (56.20%) at large-scale farms (> 500 cows), followed by 33.3% at medium-scale farms (50–500 cows). A majority of the investigated farms (≥ 68.04%) did not have a system for monitoring either temperature, relative humidity, or air quality. A medium depth (score 2) of bedding was most common at 42.11% of the farms. 87.76% of the farms relied on natural ventilation. 36.10% of the farms did not provide supplemental heating in the calf barn, and the heating methods most often used differed among the three climate zones. Manual milk feeders involving bottles or buckets were more common (83.67%) than automated milk feeders. The mean morbidity and mortality rates of pre-weaned calves infected with bovine respiratory disease were 11.73% (95% CI:10.2–13.23%) and 3.65% (95% CI: 2.85–4.45%), while those infected with diarrhea were 14.17% (95% CI: 12.46–15.88%) and 3.61% (95% CI: 2.97–4.25%). The rates were highest in the SCZ, in spring and winter, and among group-housed calves. These results should provide insights that could lead to better management practices improvements that will help to sustain not only China's dairy farms but also dairy farms operated in the similar climate zones around the world.

Geographic Drivers of Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Pigs in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.

In Thailand, pig production has increased considerably in the last decades to meet a growing demand for pork. Antimicrobials are used routinely in intensive pig production to treat infections and increase productivity. However, the use of antimicrobials also contributes to the rise of antimicrobial resistance with potential consequences for animal and human health. Here, we quantify the association between antimicrobial use and resistance rates in extensive and intensive farms with a focus on geographic proximity between farm and drugstores. Of the 164 enrolled farms, 79% reported using antimicrobials for disease prevention, treatment, or as a feed additive. Antimicrobial-resistant E. coli were present in 63% of farms. These drugs included critically important antimicrobials, such as quinolones and penicillins. Medium-scale farms with intensive animal production practices showed higher resistance rates than small-scale farms with extensive practices. Farms with drug-resistant Escherichia coli were located closer to drugstores and a had a higher proportion of disease than farms without drug-resistant E. coli. We found no association between the presence of resistance in humans and antimicrobial use in pigs. Our findings call for actions to improve herd health to reduce the need for antimicrobials and systematic training of veterinarians and drugstore owners on judicious use of antimicrobials in animals to mitigate resistance.

Exploring the Antibiotic Resistance Burden in Livestock, Livestock Handlers and Their Non-Livestock Handling Contacts: A One Health Perspective.

Antibiotics are freqeuently used in the livestock sector in low- and middle-income countries for treatment, prophylaxis, and growth promotion. However, there is limited information into the zoonotic prevalence and dissemination patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within these environments. In this study we used pig farming in Thailand as a model to explore AMR; 156 pig farms were included, comprising of small-sized (<50 sows) and medium-sized (≥100 sows) farms, where bacterial isolates were selectively cultured from animal rectal and human fecal samples. Bacterial isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), and whole-genome sequencing. Our results indicate extensive zoonotic sharing of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by horizontal gene transfer. Resistance to multiple antibiotics was observed with higher prevalence in medium-scale farms. Zoonotic transmission of colistin resistance in small-scale farms had a dissemination gradient from pigs to handlers to non-livestock contacts. We highly recommend reducing the antimicrobial use in animals’ feeds and medications, especially the last resort drug colistin.

The Sprouting Farms: You Are What You Grow

In 2017, the Singaporean government unveiled the Farm Transformation Map, a highly technology-driven initiative that intends to change its current, near-total dependence on imported food. The plan focuses on the prospect of high-productivity farming—in particular, integrated vertical, indoor, and intensive urban farming—as a possible solution to geopolitical uncertainty, intense urbanisation, and environmental degradation. What to farm (or not) and how to farm has long mediated social, cultural, political, and environmental relations. Following the stories of a few small- to medium-scale urban farms, including rooftop gardens, community farms, and organic farms, in this future-oriented city polis, this article explores the rise of urban farming through the politics of localism and the notion of care. How has localism, in some contexts, been reduced to a narrow sense of geographic location? What is being cared for in and through farming in urban locales? How might this type of farming transform and shape bio-cultural, social-technological relations within humans, and between humans and non-humans? More importantly, this article explores how urban agriculture might forge a kind of thick localism rooted in situated care as it carries out social missions, experimenting with and subverting the dominant imaginary of industrial farming.

Antibiotic use in pig farms at different levels of intensification-Farmers' practices in northeastern Thailand.

Understanding the patterns and drivers of antibiotic use in livestock is crucial for tailoring efficient incentives for responsible use of antibiotics. Here we compared routines for antibiotic use between pig farms of two different levels of intensification in Khon Kaen province in Thailand. Among the 113 family-owned small-scale farms (up to 50 sows) interviewed did 76% get advice from the pharmacy about how to use the antibiotics and 84% used it primarily for treating disease. Among the 51 medium-scale-farms (100–500 sows) belonging to two companies did 100% get advice about antibiotic use from the company’s veterinarian (P<0.0001) and 94% used antibiotics mostly as disease preventive measure (P<0.0001). In 2 small scale farms 3rd generation cephalosporins, tylosin or colistin were used; antibiotics belonging to the group of highest priority critically important antimicrobials for human medicine. Enrofloxacin, belonging to the same group of antimicrobials, was used in 33% of the small-scale and 41% of the medium-scale farms. In the latter farms, the companies supplied 3–4 antibiotics belonging to different classes and those were the only antibiotics used in the farms. The median and mean estimated expenditure on antibiotics per sow was 4.8 USD (IQR = 5.8) for small-scale farms and 7 USD and 3.4 USD for the medium-scale farms belonging to the two respective companies. Our observations suggest to target the following areas when pig farming transitions from small-scale to medium-scale: (i) strengthening access to professional animal health services for all farmers, (ii) review of the competence and role of veterinary pharmacies in selling antibiotics and (iii) adjustment of farming company animal health protocols towards more medically rational use of antibiotics.

Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: the experience of A2 resettlement farms

ABSTRACTThe emergence of medium-scale farms is having important consequences for agricultural commercialisation across Africa. This article examines the role of medium-scale A2 farms allocated following Zimbabwe's land reform after 2000. While the existing literature focuses on changing farm size distributions, this article investigates processes of social differentiation across medium-scale farms, based on qualitative-quantitative studies in two contrasting sites (Mvurwi and Masvingo-Gutu). Diverse processes of accumulation are identified across commercial, aspiring and struggling farmers, and linked to contrasting patterns of agricultural production and sale, asset ownership, employment and finance. The ability to mobilise finance, influenced by the state of the macro-economy, as well as forms of political patronage, is identified as a crucial driver. Contrary to assertions that A2 farms are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive and under-utilised, a more differentiated picture emerges, with important implications for policy and the wider politics of Zimbabwe's countryside following land reform.

Farm scale as a driver of agricultural development in the Kenyan Rift Valley

Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is historically dominated by small-scale farms (SSFs), but evidence suggests that medium-scale farms (MSFs) are becoming increasingly prominent. These MSFs are often portrayed as entrepreneurial innovators, bringing dynamism and commercialization to SSA agriculture without displaying the negative features of land grabbing processes. However, there is little empirical evidence supporting these claims. We deployed a survey of 319 farmers covering a wide range of sizes in the Kenyan Rift Valley. Results show that MSFs are not a new phenomenon in the area, and are mostly farms that incrementally increased in size by buying or renting additional land. Furthermore, we find no differences in yields for various crop types between SSFs and MSFs. On average, MSFs use a higher share of their land for grazing, and have more dairy cattle per farm but less per hectare. The average MSF has a higher propensity to grow cash crops and serve non-local markets than the average SSF, and they employ significantly fewer people per hectare. However, within-category heterogeneity is high for all investigated dimensions, while past decision-making and future aspirations reveal entrepreneurship to occur in all farm size categories. We conclude that only a subset of all MSFs can be characterized as entrepreneurial, while these qualities can also be attached to many SSFs. Hence, we find that farm scale is an imperfect proxy to gauge the characteristics of a farm system, and presenting MSFs as a developmental panacea for SSA's rural areas is therefore unwarranted.

Characteristics and Spillover Effects of Medium-Scale Farms in Tanzania

Although medium-scale farms are more prevalent than large-scale farms in many sub-Saharan African countries, much less is known about their interactions with, and influence on, small-scale farms. In Tanzania, medium-scale farms are more likely to use modern techniques and inputs and to market their output, suggesting a potential for spillover effects for their smaller-scale neighbors—particularly if they attract local agribusiness investments. We consider the population of small-scale farms in Tanzania and ask whether agricultural behaviors and outcomes are affected by the local prevalence of medium-scale farms. Using pooled OLS and household fixed-effects models, we find evidence that small-scale farms are more likely to use improved seed, to cultivate more of their landholdings, and to receive agricultural extension in the presence of more medium-scale farms. This points to positive synergies from mixed scales of farming in a given locality.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Fecal Escherichia coli from Humans and Pigs at Farms at Different Levels of Intensification.

The overall aim of the current study was to test the hypotheses that (i) antibiotic resistance in bacteria were more frequent in clinically health pigs in intensified company owned, medium-scale farms (MSFs) (100–500 sows) than in pigs in family-owned, small-scale farms (SSFs) (1–50 sows) and (ii) that farmers working at the MSFs were more prone to attain antibiotic resistant bacteria than farmers working at SSFs. The study was conducted in North-Eastern Thailand, comprising fecal Escherichia coli isolates from pigs, farmers working with the pigs (contact humans) and persons living in the same household as the farmer (non-contact humans) at 51 MSFs and 113 SSFs. Samples from all farms were also screened for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which was not detected in pig samples, but was found in one human sample. Susceptibility was tested by disc-diffusion for seven antibiotics commonly used in the study area. Resistance in pig isolates from MSFs were more frequent for chloramphenicol which (P < 0.001), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (P < 0.001) and gentamicin (P < 0.05) compared with isolates from SSFs, whereas the opposite was true for tetracycline (P < 0.01). Resistance in the human isolates was lower than those in the isolates from pigs for tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol (P < 0.001). The frequency of resistance in the contact human samples from SSFs and MSFs did not differ. There was no difference between isolates from contact and non-contact humans for any of the tested antibiotics. Multidrug resistance in isolates from pigs was 26%, significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the 13% from humans. The data indicate that (i) resistance to antibiotics, including those critical and highly important for human medicine, were more common in fecal E. coli from pigs at the MSFs than at the SSFs, whereas (ii) the resistance in fecal E. coli from pig farmers seemed not to be influenced by the level of intensification of the farm they were working at.

Türkiye‘de Alabalık Yetiştiriciliği Yapan İşletmelerin Ekonomik Performanslarının Analizi

Bu çalışma, Türkiye‘de iç sularda alabalık yetiştiren işletmelerin faaliyetlerinin ekonomik performanslarını ölçmek ve alabalık yetiştiriciliğinin son yıllardaki gelişimini ortaya koymak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, işletmelerin kurulu kapasitelerinin ortalama %82‘sini kullandığı tespit edilmiştir. İşletme ölçeği ile KKO arasında negatif yönlü bir ilişki olup işletme ölçeği büyüdükçe KKO düşmektedir. İşletmelerin yem dönüşüm oranları ortalaması 1,12 olarak hesaplanmıştır. İşletmelerin aktif sermayeleri içerisinde en büyük payı balık sermayesi (%36,8), pasif sermaye içerisinde ise en büyük payı öz sermaye (%87,2) almaktadır. İşletmelerin bir ton üretim kapasitesine düşen net kârları; küçük ölçekli işletmelerde 2.374 TL, orta ölçekli işletmelerde 1.322 TL, büyük ölçekli işletmelerde ise 1.896 TL olarak hesaplanmıştır. İşletmelerin (küçük, orta, büyük) nispi kârları ortalaması sırasıyla 1,08; 0,99 ve 1,17‘dir. İncelenen işletmelerin ortalama cari oran değeri 3,67 ve likidite oranları ortalaması 3,55 olarak hesaplanmıştır. İşletme ölçeği büyüdükçe cari oran değerleri de artmakta, büyük ölçekli işletmeler küçük ve orta ölçekli işletmelere göre daha nakit varlıklara sahiptirler. Sonuç olarak Türkiye‘de alabalık yetiştiren işletmelerin; kısa vadeli borçlarını ödeyebilecek cari varlıklara sahip olduğu söylenebilir. İşletmelerin borçlanma oranı ortalaması 0,16‘dır. Eş deyişle Türkiye‘de alabalık yetiştiren işletmelerin sahip oldukları finansal varlıkların %16‘sı yabancı kaynaklardan karşılanmaktadır. İşletmelerin aktiflerinin devir hızı oranı ortalaması 0,79 olup sektör ortalamasının altındadır. İşletmelerin ekonomik rantabilitesi ortalama 0,13 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Eş deyişle işletmelerin yetiştiricilikten elde ettikleri gelir, fırsat maliyetinden daha fazladır.

The impact of farm scale and technology characteristics on the adoption of sustainable manure management technologies: Evidence from hog production in China

A key strategy in reducing ecological damage from livestock manure is to improve farms’ adoption of sustainable manure management technologies (SMMTs). However, designing policies to promote SMMTs’ adoption is challenging due to the heterogeneity in farm scale and technology characteristics. Based on a questionnaire-based survey of 686 hog farms in the Poyang Lake Region—one of the biggest ecological wetlands in Asia and the largest freshwater lakes in China, this paper adopted a multivariate probit model to empirically investigate the impact of farm scale and technology characteristics on SMMTs’ adoption. The results show that there is significant heterogeneity in the SMMTs’ adoption across farm scales. Small-scale farms are more likely to adopt land-intensive and labor-intensive SMMTs, while medium-scale and large-scale farms are more likely to adopt capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive SMMTs. The main determinants of the adoption heterogeneity can be explained by the characteristics of farm and technology in labor, capital, land, and knowledge. Small-scale farms’ decision to adopt SMMTs is mostly associated with labor availability and land area; variables expressing capital constraints have the highest effect on medium-scale farms’ decision to adopt SMMTs, while land area is the key constraint for large-scale farms to choose SMMTs. We suggest that policies designed to promote SMMTs’ adoption need to be carefully planned and tailored to different scales of farms rather than being standardized.

An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label of the European Union safeguards and guarantees top-quality traditional agri-food products that must be manufactured in a specific region according to traditional production methods. Production specifications of PDO cheeses are often focused on the cheese-making process and lack information on the dairy farming system that is upstream of the chain. This case study aimed to analyze and cluster the dairy farms that supply milk to the chain of Asiago, an internationally known PDO cheese of northeastern Italy. A large survey involving all of the cheese factories of the Asiago PDO chain was made in 2017. Each cheese factory submitted a questionnaire to its supplying dairy farmers concerning (1) farm facilities and herd management and (2) feeding program of lactating cows. Results from 517 farms were processed; there were 67 ± 27% (mean ± standard deviation) respondents per cheese factory. Four clusters of dairy farms were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis. Cluster 1 (8% of the surveyed farms) and cluster 2 (22%) are small in size and low in yield, representing the traditional milk production system; farms are mainly located on mountains or hills and have autochthonous dual-purpose breeds mostly housed in tiestall barns. By rearing cattle of endangered breeds and feeding cows primarily with forages produced on-farm together with the use of pasture, these clusters, and especially cluster 1, have shown to provide essential ecosystem services for landscape and biodiversity preservation in the alpine areas. Clusters 3 and 4 (34 and 36% of the surveyed farms, respectively) gather medium-scale farms mainly located in the lowland that operate according to modern management and housing systems and rear high-producing dairy cows. These cows are mainly fed total mixed rations based on corn silage, but the dietary forage:concentrate ratio is kept relatively high, as farmers are more interested in producing high-quality milk for cheese-making than pushing for yield. Regardless of the cluster allocation, a considerable cow longevity, which is a recognized "iceberg indicator" of cattle well-being, was highlighted. This study showed that different farming systems may lay behind a single PDO cheese. The knowledge of their characteristics is important to reinforce the PDO production specifications as well as to distinguish and protect niche products that come from specific groups of farms that provide essential ecosystem services.

Economic analysis of family trout farming in Southern Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the economic feasibility of family trout farming in the Serra Catarinense, a temperate region in South Brazil. Two properties characterized as small (production = 10.8 t/yr) and medium (production = 32.4 t/yr) scale, respectively, were evaluated. The investment costs were US$ 20,780.53 for the small-scale farm and US$ 92,677.03 for the medium-scale farm. Operating expenses were US$ 17,920.40/yr for the small-scale and US$ 45,876.24/yr for the medium-scale farms. Feed was the main cost. In the small-scale farm, both fixed and variable costs were higher. While feed costs per kg of fish produced were similar between the two production scales, for the medium-scale farm, the larger production scale decreases the significance of the remaining costs, resulting in higher profitability. Still, the economic analysis showed that the two scales of farming are economically feasible with IRR values ​​of 18 and 19% for the small and medium scales, respectively, and the payback period is less than 6 years for both scales of farming. The medium-scale producer had higher income and higher net present value, but the results of the other economic indicators were similar to the small-scale producer. We conclude that the family farming of trout in small and medium scales is economically feasible. The small-scale production requires complete dedication from the owner. For the medium-scale farm, it is feasible to hire a technician without compromising economic outcomes. Finally, based on the sensitivity analyses, it was shown that improper feed management can render the activity economically unfeasible.

Effects of some environmental factors on somatic cell count and milk chemical composition in cow bulk tank milk

The aim of our research was to determine the influences of some environmental factors on somatic cell count (SCC) and chemical composition of cow bulk tank milk. A total of 428 bulk tank milk samples of Brown Swiss cows were collected between January and October 2006 from family dairy farms located in Kırşehir province of Turkey. To evaluate the effect of farm scale, daily total bulk tank milk production was classified in three groups (small: &amp;lt;20 kg/d; medium: 20-40 kg/d and large: &amp;gt;40 kg/d). Also, three groups were designed according to average SCC values as low (&amp;lt;200x103 cells/ml), medium (200-500x103 cells/ml) and high SCC (&amp;gt;500x103 cells/ml). SCC was transformed according to the base of log10, because it did not show normal distribution.The results showed that sampling season was significantly affected fat content (P&amp;lt;0.05), logSCC, solids-not-fat (SNF), protein, lactose and pH (P&amp;lt;0.01). SCC was the highest in large-scale farms, while the highest fat content was determined in small-scale farms (P&amp;lt;0.01). Also, the lowest pH was found in large-scale farms compared to small and medium-scale farms (P&amp;lt;0.01). Of all bulk tank milk composition, SCC only affected fat content (P&amp;lt;0.05), and the lowest fat content was determined in bulk tank milk with high SCC (&amp;gt;500x103 cell/ml). As a result, It was concluded that season was primarily responsible among the most important environmental factor to increase bulk tank milk quality.

Evaluation of Energy Balance in Tropical and Temperate Crossbred Dairy Cows at Post-Partum Transition Stage: A Case Study

Objective of the present study was to assess the energy balance of tropical (Sahiwal x Jersey) and temperate (Friesian x Jersey) crossbred dairy cows in Sri Lanka using serum metabolic profile. The study consisted of tropical and temperate crossbred dairy cows which were at post-partum transition stage, and were from two medium-scale farms in low country dry zone, and mid country intermediate zone, respectively. Each cow was bled (0800 hours) on the day of data collection and serum metabolic profile was assessed. Milk production, body weight and body condition score (BCS) of cows were recorded whereas, dry matter, crude protein and metabolizable energy contents of the mixed rations fed to cows in both farms were analysed. Results revealed that, serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea and calcium contents were significantly (P

Does farm structure affect rural household incomes? Evidence from Tanzania

Many African countries have recently experienced rapid growth in the numbers of medium- and large-scale farms. These developments have generated considerable speculation about the impacts of farmland concentration and inequality on smallholder households and communities. This study exploits inter-district variation in farm landholding patterns in Tanzania to determine how differences in localized farmland structure affect rural household incomes using nationally representative household panel survey data. Because farm structure is a multifaceted concept, five alternative indicators of farmland structure are defined for 142 districts in Tanzania: (i) the Gini coefficient; (ii) skewness; (iii) coefficient of variation; (iv) share of controlled farmland under medium-scale farms; and (v) share of controlled farmland under large farms. These alternative farm structure variables are included in models of rural household income to test their effects after controlling for available household and community covariates. The study highlights four main findings. First, most indicators of farmland concentration are positively associated with rural household incomes. Second, household incomes from farm and non-farm sources are positively and significantly associated with the share of land in the district controlled by farms in the 5–10 and 5–20 ha category. Third, these positive spillover benefits are smaller and less statistically significant in districts with a relatively high share of farmland controlled by farms over 20 ha in size. Fourth, poor rural households are least able to capture the positive spillovers generated by medium-scale farms and by concentrated farmland patterns.

Inland aquaculture of carps in Poland: Between tradition and innovation

Abstract: This paper examines how the traditional carp sector in Poland developed during the recent period, paying a particular attention to the different forms of innovations that have been implemented. Mostly based on first-hand, face-to-face interviews, the paper shows that despite the fact that aquaculture of carp is still characterised by strong traditional and cultural features, different categories of economic agents along the value-chain engaged in various kinds of technical, market and institutional innovations. These innovative strategies could be further replicated and developed through collaborative process, where policy makers have a potential role to play. The research results showed the existence of huge potential for innovation in traditional carp sector in Poland, especially in terms of alternative ways of marketing products for small and medium scale farms.

Urban agriculture, food security, and development policies in Jakarta: A case study of farming communities at Kalideres – Cengkareng district, West Jakarta

Currently, while urban agriculture occupies approximately 21% of total green space area in Jakarta, its potential contribution towards the city’s food security has not been acknowledged or realised by the government. This is evident from several issues raised within the local context, most notably government policies that lead to insecure land title and tenure for many farmers. The current approach to urban agriculture land use policy puts diverse production strategies all under the broad umbrella of urban agriculture, which ranges from community gardens, urban farms, edible school gardens; this singular one-size-fits-all policy is problematic. Thus, we argue that in order for the government to generate policies which support the continuity of diverse urban agriculture practices, there is a need to systematically understand different typologies of urban agriculture across form and function. This paper used a case study of typical undefined urban agriculture fields in Jakarta as the starting point to begin to systematically define diverse typologies of local urban agriculture. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, field observations, and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. The results provide an in-depth characterization of one typology of urban agriculture in Jakarta, summarised as medium to highly commercialised domestically run small and medium scale farms, located primarily on private land, producing vegetables and livestock for local markets within the city. The farmers were a mix of locals and migrants of informal tenure status, who were highly dependent on their farms for income generation and household food security. We conclude with suggested strategies for policy improvement to accommodate diverse urban agriculture typologies. The case of Jakarta provides a proof of concept, and serves as a reference for other metropolitan areas in developing countries to develop policies to accommodate urban agriculture practices across a broad spectrum of typologies, particularly as a strategy for meeting urban food security goals.

Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Salmonella Recovered From Finishing Pigs and Slaughter Facilities in Henan, China.

With the increase in commercial pig farming, there is a simultaneous increase in the use of antibiotics for prophylaxis as well as therapeutics in China. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence and resistance diversity of salmonellae isolated from feces of asymptomatic, live and slaughtered pigs. We analyzed 1,732 pig fecal samples collected over 8 months, at Henan province of China. The salmonellae were isolated and identified by PCR. They were serotyped using commercial antisera and assayed for the MIC of 16 antibiotics by broth microdilution method. The average prevalence of Salmonella was 19.4% (95% CI: 17.6–21.4). Large farms (herd size ≥1,000) were found to have a higher prevalence as compared to the small- and medium-scale farms (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of salmonellae in samples collected from the farms [11.77% (95% CI: 10.1–13.6)] and from the slaughterhouse [45.23% (95% CI: 40.3–50.30)] was statistically different (p < 0.0001). Uncommon serovars of Salmonella such as Agama and common serovars such as Derby and Typhimurium were isolated. High resistance (>80%) was recorded toward ciprofloxacin (100%), tetracycline (99.4%), doxycycline (97%), sulfamethoxazole (85.8%), ampicillin (81.6%), and amoxicillin (80.4%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) to four, five, and seven classes of antibiotics was recorded to be approximately 25% in the most prevalent serovar like Derby. We conclude that the presence of alarmingly high resistance, toward the critical antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones and beta-lactams, in large swine farms in China, should draw public attention. These results highlight the need for continued antibiotic stewardship programs for judicious use of critical antibiotics in animal health as well as for producing safe pork.

Manure Management Practices and Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications on Manure Quality as a Fertilizer

Manure has been used as a fertilizer since ancient times and if well-managed it can be an asset, promoting sustainable agriculture, and increasing crop production, particularly for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, most farmers in SSA do not apply recommended manure management practices, such as roofing animal housing, having a water-proof floor or covering manure during storage, causing large nutrient losses during manure storage, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing the quality of the manure as a fertilizer. This paper compares manure management practices in representative SSA countries, and summarizes government policies and socio-cultural practices that influence the adoption of good (recommended) manure management practices. Three steps were applied in this analysis: (i) review of manure management practices from various literature sources, (ii) interviews on manure management practices and policies with key stakeholders from 13 SSA countries, and (iii) surveys of manure management practices on small, medium, and large scale farms in Ethiopia and Malawi. The review confirms the potential of manure to improve crop yields and promote sustainable agriculture in SSA. Unfortunately, most SSA countries (a) do not explicitly mention manure management in their policies (b) have different ministries that share responsibilities on manure management, often leading to incoherent policies and abnegation of these responsibilities (c) take limited action to promote good practices or enforce legislation on manure management. Also, the field survey indicated that farmers lack knowledge on manure management. However, farmers are able to access agricultural extension services from both government and non-government agencies, although these extension services rarely included information on improved manure management practices. Extension services that encourage exchange and interaction between farmers were most successful in increasing adoption of good manure management practices, and are recommended. In addition, efforts to improve manure management in SSA should strengthen the enforcement of existing policies and provide an enabling environment for adoption of good manure management practices.