Economic values for milk production and quality traits in south and southeast regions of Brazil

Abstract

-The objective of this study was to calculate economic values for milk (MY), protein (PY) and fat productions (FY) and somatic cell count (SCC) which could be used to compose an economic index to rank animals involved in an international genetic evaluation program of Holstein cattle used in the commercial dairy population in Brazil. The main milk production systems (MPS) prevailing in the South and Southeast were defined based on the feeding management and production level of herds. To calculate feeding costs, energy requirements for the production of one kg of milk with the respective average protein and fat contents of each MPS were calculated. Feeding costs were obtained based on the regional prices of the diets' components. To calculate revenues, milk prices were obtained from the payment tables practiced by seven milk industries. Economic values were calculated from the marginal differences between revenues and costs, for the interest of maximizing the profit, assuming a fixed number of animals in the herd. The average economic values (R$) for MY, PY and FY were 0.51, 6.41 and 1.94, respectively. The economic impact of increasing the original SCC values in the individual records of cows in the population by 1% was -R$ 1.40 per cow, per year. Due to changes observed in the last years in the milk market in Brazil, selection for milk components became economically advantageous. As a result, the calculation of economic values and the proposition of an economic index based on these traits became feasible. Somatic cell count does have an economic impact on the final price of milk and consequently on the annual profit of herds. It has also been used in breeding programs as an indicator of mastitis resistance and should not be neglected in breeding programs of dairy cattle.

Multi-trait and multi-source selection indices for milk production and reproductive traits in a herd of Holstein cattle in Egypt

“…Breeding programs are basically designed to identify superior genotypes for different traits of economic interest, based on performance information of animals and their relatives, in order to disseminate their genes in the population. Literature shows that the implementation of selection indexes was an important step in the evolution of the dairy industry in the developed countries (Cardoso et al 2014).…”

Valores econômicos para as características de produção, funcionais e de fertilidade em sistemas de produção de leite no Sul do Brasil

“…This value indicates that the remuneration applied by companies for these components in milk justify and compensate their inclusion in the economic selection objectives. Cardoso et al (2004;2014) estimated economic values for milk production traits in Brazil, and also saw positive economic values for including protein and fat in selection indices. The values differ from those seen in the present study due to the methodology used for determining payment for different milk components and the inclusion of different traits in the estimation equation.…”

“…Another relevant aspect regarding SCC is related to public health issues, because, according to Kunda et al (2016) as SCC increases the likelihood of antibiotic residues in milk being found also increases. Cardoso et al (2014) did not calculate an economic value for SCC due to discrepancies in payment policies for this trait.…”

“…Despite the importance of this issue, in Brazil, there are no studies that determine the objectives of selection in dairy cattle and most are limited to the calculation of economic values for a limited number of economically important traits (Cardoso et al, 2004;2014). The southern region has the second largest dairy herd and highest productivity so studies are necessary in this area, to make this activity more profitable and competitive.…”

Assessment of milk quality during storage based on DNA extracted from milk

“…The refrigerated storage of raw milk is widely applied throughout the dairy industrial chain. The milk quality changes during storage since it undergoes numerous physical, chemical and biological processes (Cardoso et al, 2014). Prolonged storage time and improper storage temperature can induce adverse alterations in the milk components (Cousin, 1982).…”