Characteristics of the dairy goat primary sector at the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Abstract

-A survey was done based on 19 goat shepherds at counties of Centre-highlands, Northern and North-western regions of the Rio de Janeiro State and at the county of Pedra Dourada, Zona da Mata region, State of Minas Gerais. We aimed to characterise the primary sector of the goat milk production chain settled at those regions. Therefore, questionnaires were applied in order to depict profiles of the shepherds, their families, the role of the wife in the activity, the resources available, dependence on income generated by the activity, and how producers administrate their business. Farms were distributed in five strata according to the following daily milk production averages and standard deviations: 8.8 ± 0.9, 15.7 ± 3.9, 22.6 ± 2.7, 34.4 ± 3.4, and 183.8 ± 54.2 L/d. Approximately 42% of the interviewed producers conducted their activities according to a household production model and the income earned was exclusively from the dairy goat husbandry. Sons and daughters performed an important role in the business (27.80%), but most of them (62.73%) worked out at non farm activities. The percentage of wives that worked directly in the activity ( ≅ 47%) indicated that it could contribute to gender equity in the rural environment. Most of the production systems (63.16%) presented positive gross margins. We have noticed, however, that shepherds perceived only the business gross margin and that the most accurate registries taken were those related to revenues. In general, producers of the higher strata were favoured by their larger production scale, but asymptotic behaviours for costs and amounts invested in animals, equipments and buildings were observed. These characteristics should be considered when policies related to the dairy goat primary sector have to be planned.Key Words: household agriculture, enterprise budget analysis, agribusiness Características do setor primário da caprinocultura leiteira no estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil RESUMO -Realizou-se um levantamento com base em 19 caprinoculturas de municípios das regiões Centro-Serrana, Norte e Noroeste do estado do Rio de Janeiro e do município de Pedra Dourada, região da Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, para caracterizar o setor primário da cadeia produtiva do leite de cabra produzido nestas regiões. Foram aplicados questionários com o objetivo de traçar o perfil dos produtores, de suas famílias, do papel da esposa na atividade, da disponibilidade de recursos, da dependência da renda gerada na atividade e do modo como os produtores administravam seu negócio. As fazendas foram distribuídas em cinco estratos de acordo com as médias de produção diária de leite e os desvios-padrão: 8,8 ± 0,9; 15,7 ± 3,9; 22,6 ± 2,7; 34,4 ± 3,4; 183,8 ± 54,2 L/dia. Aproximadamente 42% dos produtores entrevistados conduziam suas atividades segundo o modelo familiar e obtinham renda exclusivamente da caprinocultura leiteira. Os filhos e as filhas desempenhavam papel importante no negócio (27,80%), mas a maior parte (62,73%) trabalhava fora, em atividades não-agrícolas. O percent...

Long-term growth of body, body parts and composition of gain of dairy goat wethers

“…Otherwise, smaller time-trend effects jeopardise inferences regarding asymptotic estimates at maturity (Strathe et al 2010). The definition of the asymptotic growth phase is crucial to establish the weight and its variability at maturity, particularly for vertical production systems that host breeding categories such as replacement doelings, as is the case in some goat dairying systems (Morand-Fehr & Sauvant 1988;Santos Júnior et al 2008;Vieira et al 2009). The sexual condition (Strathe et al 2010) and breed (Regadas Filho et al 2014) are additional determinant effects of growth trajectories.…”