Dairy R&D in SA

Discipline: consumption; Keywords: communal areas, survey milk production, consumption, species, sour milk.

The production and consumption of milk in the communal areas of the Eastern Cape Province is largely unknown. Although production is expected to be modest, there should be potential in the sector for purposes of household and commercial milk production. Consumption trends in these communities, with a population size of roughly 4 million people, may influence general milk consumption trends in the country. The aim of the study by the authors referenced below was to collect baseline information which could inform future research. 

The Dairy Genomics Program (DGP) was initiated in 2016 with the primary aim to establish a reference population for dairy breeds which can be used to develop genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) which according to principle and function should improve the EBV’s , as calculated in the conventional way. The reference population (RP) was established in Phase 1 of the DGP which ended in March 2019 and the question was how did it benefit us. This was also the question posed by the authors cited below, who then did a GEBV analysis on Jersey cattle data and compared the GEBVs with previous EBV estimates. The Jerseys have been receiving BLUP (EBVs) and MACE breeding values for production, functional type, udder health, fertility and longevity traits for several years. 

At the recent Large Herds conference held at Port Elizabeth between 2 and 5 June 2019 there were two poster presentations on developing analyses systems to add value to existing program outputs which should assist farmers and consultants in strategizing, breeding and management. Here are the Abstracts:

1. A newly developed system of obtaining Dairy Cattle farm-recorded data from automated systems to be used for biological and economic benchmarking as well as future genetic merit predictions

     by DA Kruger, RR vd Westhuizen & D Victor, SA Stud Book, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

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   PROJECTS, CAPACITIES AND PUBLICATIONS BY PROGRAMME LEADER AT INSTITUTION.

   
   
   

    

   
   

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   Banga, Cuthbert and others - ARC-Irene.

   
   
   

   Projects:

Discipline: environment; Keywords: environmental science, national security, ecological restoration, benefits and costs, system dynamics, opportunity cost of degradation. 

Discipline: economics; Keywords: milk yield, lifetime production, age at first calving, lifetime profit margin, modelling.  

Discipline: lactation; Keywords: high milk yield, simulation model, extended lactation, calving interval, profitability.

Discipline: environment; Key words: environmental crisis, easement, assets, restoration, economics, accounting, natural capital. 

Discipline: lactation; Key words: early post-partum, feed intake, BCS, milk production, maize particle size, TMR.

Discipline: infection; Key words: helminths, anthelmintic resistance, phytotherapy, bioactive forages, vaccines, grazing management.

An elicitation exercise was conducted to collect and identify pressing questions concerning the study of helminths in livestock, to help guide research priorities. The authors cited below are the primary global experts who compiled the report. Whereas this presentation does not cover research results as usual, I consider it important to share their ideas with the reader as a main focus of our R & D is in control of parasites and because prominent researchers in the group are South African or South African of origin.