Cattle farmers: profile and speech content analysis while undergoing training to adopt artificial insemination in Goiás State, Brazil

Abstract

-This study was undertaken to verify major issues present in the discourse of cattle farmers when discussing the use of artificial insemination (AI). Seventy-one beef and dairy cattle farmers in the state of Goiás, Brazil, were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires during AI training courses in 2010 and 2011. Data analyses were done using the classic method of textual speech content analysis, performing the pre-analytical, analytical and inferential stages. The written questions were separated in elementary context units (ECU) and sorted into similar thematic groups. These groups originated categories and subcategories, which were nominated based on an a posteriori criteria. Overall, personal motivation was the main issue characterizing discourse by farmers about adoption of AI. This motivation stems from the strong points (highlights) and positive expectations AI offers. The positive expectations were mainly related to perceptions of farmers of animal phenotype improvement rather than to the financial features of cattle production. Basic necessity was the second major issue, with emphasis on work force, infrastructure and animal handling, followed by social influence, with eminence of the institutions and people involved with AI and with the everyday life of cattle farmers. The little emphasis on human resource management and on the use of scientific knowledge may have affected the impact of AI over the years, explaining discreet indices of adoption of AI in Brazil.

Profile of dairy cattle farmers in the Northwest of Minas Gerais and the perception about the use of artificial insemination

“…Despite the large number of farmers that work exclusively with milk cattle, the use of reproductive biotechnology such as FTAI is scarce. These results confirmed the reports of Gordo et al (2013), who analyzed the use of AI among beef or dairy cattle in the state of Goiás, Brazil, and also found that more farmers only used conventional artificial insemination. The farmers perceived that the difficulties in implementing AI went beyond simply depositing semen in the genital organ of the cows.…”

“…The corpus was made up of 1,021 ECU, of which 20.7% were discarded (answers without nexus, illegible handwriting, and duplicated answers). According to Gordo et al (2013), three main categories can originate from corpus analysis: basic necessities for adopting AI (30.24% of all ECU), personal motivation for adopting AI (43.26% of all ECU), and social influence for adopting AI (26.46% of all ECU).…”

“…Two questionnaires were developed and applied during technical visits to dairy farmers in the northwestern Minas Gerais. They were adapted from Gordo et al (2013). The first questionnaire consisted of questions about biodemographic information, while the second asked about the concepts involved and the points of view, influences, and expectations of interviewees relating to AI.…”

“…The data analyses were divided in three stages: preanalysis, analysis, and inferential stages, as described by Gordo et al (2013). In these, questions were sequentially deleted, and the responses were grouped to originate a new spreadsheet.…”

Identification of a historic horse ecotype analyzing speech content in central Brazil

“…Although speech analysis, as other qualitative approaches, are not common in the animal sciences, it has a history of more than 60 years of use in communication, journalism, sociology, psychology, business, and other disciplines (Neuendorf, 2017). Nevertheless, some researches have inserted these methodologies in the context of animal science and as a diagnostic tool for genetic animal conservation (Gordo et al, 2013;Solano et al, 2013;Silva et al, 2013).…”