Search

This study describes variation of nutritive value (NV), measured by proximal hyperspectral sensing (PHS), of herbage offered to cows on a pasture-based dairy farm. Metabolisable energy (ME), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and digestible organic matter digestibility (DOMD) were predicted from PHS of canopies during the 2016–17 and 2017–18 production seasons at Dairy 1, Massey University. Mixed linear models including production seasons and months within production seasons as fixed effects and paddocks as random effects were used to estimate least-squares means of herbage NV. Estimates of variance components were obtained with the same models but considering all factors as random effects. A simulation model, e-Cow, was used to explore the effects of herbage NV on dairy cow performance. The NV of herbage offered to cows dropped during summer compared to spring or autumn (P < 0.05). The contribution of the month within production season to NV variance (42.7%) was higher than production season (13.1%) or paddock (10.7%). Cow performance can be limited by ME and NDF, while CP is often found in excess of requirements. The use of canopy PHS for rapid herbage NV measurement can potentially be used to optimise grazing in pasture-based dairy farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kaleya Smallholders Company Limited (KASCOL) model has been considered in Zambia a success in increasing smallholders' participation, ownership and governance in an agri-food value chain. This study explores if and why this was a successful experience. The evidence gathered revealed that along its thirty years of existence, the model was able to grow the smallholder ownership and governance role. Although the context, governance structures and managerial competence were necessary factors in the sustainability of the model, the variables related to social capital were key determinants for the long term successful inclusion of the smallholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmer cooperatives in Northwest China first appeared in the 1920s. Their development has been strongly influenced by the external environment and political approaches to cooperative promotion. Although farmer cooperatives have developed rapidly in China in the last three years, progress has not been uniform across the provinces, due to differences in farmer education levels and varying economic and social situations. In order to identify factors for the successful development of farmer cooperatives in Northwest China, two cases of provincially approved successful farmer cooperatives in Shandan county of Gansu province were chosen for this research. The results revealed that a stable legal environment; a dedicated initiator and leader; government financial and technical support; farmer understanding and participation of cooperative activities and appropriate external support from professional NGOs were the key factors for the successful development of farmer cooperatives in Northwest of China. This study also found some challenges that farmer cooperatives have faced in their development. The successful development of the cooperatives studied showed their significant influence on both their members and the local rural community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operating in a deregulated economy that provides minimal support to agriculture, New Zealand dairy farmers are exposed to considerable uncertainty. However, this uncertainty provides both opportunities and threats for New Zealand dairy farms and often it is the capacity of the farm manager to interpret and respond to external (and internal) information that determines the extent of the advantage or disadvantage that is eventually realized. The research question in this study is to determine whether the perceptions of risk (importance and likelihood) differ according to time horizon and according to whether the risk is viewed as an opportunity or a threat. Subsequent to this question is whether presenting farmer perceptions in a format that better illustrates and informs on the relativity between the sources of risk can enhance the capacity of farm managers to either avoid or exploit the threat and opportunity respectively. This paper reports on the development and application of a methodology to answer these questions. The methodology is then tested on a selected group of farmers with the results analyzed and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]