Current status, challenges and prospects for dairy goat production in the Americas

Abstract

Dairy goat production continues to be a socially, economically and culturally important part of the livestock industry in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean islands. Goat milk, cheese and other dairy products offer consumers food products with nutritional, health and environmental benefits. In North America, Mexico produces the greatest volume of goat milk, but most is for family or local consumption that is typical of a mixed farming system adopted by subsistence farmers in dry areas. The United States is not yet a large global goat milk producer, but the sector has expanded rapidly, with dairy goat numbers doubling between 1997 and 2012. The number of dairy goats has also increased dramatically in Canada. Commercial farms are increasingly important, driven by rising demand for good quality and locally sourced goat cheese. In South America, Brazil has the most developed dairy goat industry that includes government assistance to small-scale producers and low-income households. As of 2017, FAO identified Haiti, Peru, Jamaica, and Bolivia as having important goat milk production in the Western Hemisphere. For subsistence goat producers in the Americas on marginal land without prior history of chemical usage, organic dairy goat production can be a viable alternative for income generation, with sufficient transportation, sanitation and marketing initiatives. Production efficiency, greenhouse gas emission, waste disposal, and animal welfare are important challenges for dairy goat producers in the Americas.

Genetic Effects of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Goat GDF9 Gene on Prolificacy: True or False Positive?

“…It can be seen that goat products play a key role in people’s lives from the above phenomena, which means increasing goat stocks and improving the goat production performance are particularly important and meaningful. However, the global goat product supplies cannot satisfy people’s higher demand in terms of quantity and quality at present [4]. Hence, it is imperative to improve the reproductive traits and productivity of goats to better solve the imbalance between supply and demand of goat products fundamentally and stimulate the development of the goat industry.…”

Welfare Assessment of 30 Dairy Goat Farms in the Midwestern United States

“…Information on dairy goats in the US is limited due to the viewpoint that goats are a minor species in comparison with cattle, creating issues for farmers, veterinary practitioners, and policy makers (24). Although there are large-scale, commercial dairy goat farms in operation (e.g., 9,000-goat herds), the majority are still small (25). Recent data from the National Animal Health Monitoring Survey (NAHMS), Goat Study 2019 shows that the average herd size across the US is approximately 20 goats (26).…”

Heat Stress and Goat Welfare: Adaptation and Production Considerations

“…In the intensive farming system, goats are confined with a high density of animals per unit area, controlled feeding and some management practice, which may negatively influence their behavioral responses and production performance. Hence, the goats need appropriate spacing without overcrowding in the animal house, which protects them from the harsh environmental conditions [ 95 ]. The feeding systems should ensure that the nutrient requirements are met with an approach of supporting the natural ingestion behaviors of goats [ 96 ].…”