Financial and economic analyses of the impact of cattle mastitis on the profitability of Egyptian dairy farms

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate and quantify the different factors affecting the costs of mastitis in cattle, to quantify the annual and monthly financial losses attributed to mastitis, and to estimate production losses using average linear scores found on The Dairy Herd Improvement Association somatic cell count (SCC) sheets and bulk tank SCC per lactation number. Materials and Methods: All data (bovine mastitis-associated costs and expenditures in Egyptian dairy herds) were analyzed using SPSS/PCT, 2001. A partial budget technique using spreadsheet software and the general linear model procedure was used to analyze the productive and financial measures. Results: Mastitis was present in 57.1% of cows (240/420), while clinical mastitis (CM) was present in 19% of them (80/420). The geometric mean of SCC/ml in bulk tank milk samples of 150 cattle dairy farms was 556.3×103. The annual subclinical mastitis (SCM)-related economic loss was 21,933,258.6 LE, and the two most important cost components were the subsequent decrease in milk production and quality premium losses (93% and 7% of SCM costs, respectively). The quality premium loss was 1,369,602.1 LE. On the other hand, the annual economic loss due to decreased milk production as a result of SCM was 20,563,656.5 LE. The total cost of 80 CM cases, including the failure and preventive costs, was 1,196,871.4 LE, including 1,169,150.4 LE failure costs (106,336.0 LE in direct costs and 1,062,814.4 LE in indirect costs) and 27,721.0 LE preventive costs. The average cost per CM case was 28,760.9 LE, including veterinary time and consultation fees of 250.0 LE (1%), labor 562.5 LE (2%), premature culling 736,000.0 LE (77%), decreased milk production 4085.18 LE (13.7%), discarded milk 185.3 LE (1%), and drugs and treatments 328.9 LE (1%). The total costs of CM (expenditures) extra control and preventive measures, including the diagnosis of CM for 80 cows annually in 20 Egyptian dairy farms were 27,721.0 LE, representing 346.5 LE or 1% of the total cost of CM cases. The cost of monitoring and diagnostic measures was 8635.2 LE, representing 107.9 LE or 1% of the total cost of a case of CM. Conclusion: The method used for cost estimation, in this study, is highly adaptable to individual cattle farms and had a major role in assessing specific control and management measures. The concepts described in this paper help to improve our understanding of the full economic impact of clinical and subclinical mastitis in cattle in Egypt. Assessing the economic losses from mastitis to determine the economic costs and losses occurring in Egyptian dairy farms is critical for encouraging farmers to acknowledge the scale of the problem and implement effective management practices aimed at improving mastitis control and reducing the associated costs.

An economic analysis of high milk somatic cell counts in dairy cattle in Chiang Mai, Thailand

“…The calculation included only direct losses measured by the reduction of prices due to high SCC and the discharged milk due to a positive test from the CMT. The ex post calculation did not include other losses associated with CM and SCM, such as milk yield losses along with blind teats and control and prevention costs (14, 15,18,19), whereas some costs of normal practices related to mastitis, such as cost of the CMT, cleaning towels, disinfectants, and other general treatments, were observed in all farms (with or without high-SCC problems), so the associated costs do not play a role for the ex post cost assessment. The large economic loss shows that high SCC and mastitis have an impact on dairy farms and cooperatives and could have a detrimental impact on the development of the studied area, with consequences for food safety and security.…”

“…Considering that milk with high SCC is categorized as poorquality milk, its price is penalized. If the SCC is very high, the milk can be rejected by dairy cooperatives, leading to income losses for both the dairy farm and the dairy cooperative (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Therefore, the economic impact of mastitis, either CM or SCM, can be categorized into: (1) milk yield losses, (2) discarded milk because of withholding period from treatment, (3) treatment costs, (4) labor costs, (5) premature culling and replacement, and (6) lethality and the higher risk of co-infection with other diseases (18,19).…”

Bacterial Etiologies of Subclinical Mastitis in Cows Jos Metropolis, Nigeria

“…dairy cattle, accounting for 38 % of the total direct costs of the common production diseases [3]. Mastitis is a global problem as it adversely affects animal health, quality of milk, and economics of milk production, and every country, including developed ones, suffer substantial financial losses [15].…”

Udder Health Monitoring for Prevention of Bovine Mastitis and Improvement of Milk Quality

“…Mastitis is the most frequently occurring infectious disease in dairy cattle, with worldwide economic losses estimated to be more than USD 40 billion USD per year [ 7 ]. Udder health is of paramount importance for sustainable milk production.…”