Dairy R&D in SA

This report is about progress on the research done by UKZN, cited below. The aim of the project is to identify a biological control agent antagonistic to the aquatic snails which serve as intermediate host of liver fluke. It is believed that Bacillus spp. are potential bacterial antagonists of these aquatic snail hosts, and therefore the intention is to screen a large number of Bacillus isolates for molluscicidal activity.

Important on-farm management factors: In a study1 done in 2014, the relative importance of different variables was investigated. The principle was to change one variable by one unit while keeping the others constant, and then to see what is the effect on profitability. The results, which I have averaged to limit the effect of milk buyers who differ in their payment schemes, are presented in the table for TMR and pasture-based systems.

Table: Economic values (R per unit) for TMR and pasture-based production systems

A web-based carbon footprint assessment tool was developed by the researchers cited below that will assist dairy farmers in understanding their GHG emissions and developing effective mitigation strategies and sustaining farmlands. The tool also provide a means with which to communicate and report back to stakeholders and key audiences, such as consumers, about the real impact of dairy farmers in South Africa on the environment.

Discipline: environment; Keywords: GHG, emission reduction, net zero, carbon sequestration, systems dynamic model, dairy production systems.