"Rural Extension - Dairy Cattle" of the Professional Improvement Program in Veterinary Medicine at University of Franca provides veterinary assistance to small rural properties of region

Abstract

The rural extension is a technical activity that aims at an educational and instructive character in assisted properties, especially for small and medium rural dairy farmers. In this way, among other factors, it aims to maintain the welfare and health of the animals involved and also to produce subsistence with the activity. Given the importance of dairy farming in Brazil and the various difficulties encountered in this sector, this work aims to report the performance and importance of the "Rural Extension-Dairy Cattle" Project of the Professional Improvement Program in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Franca (UNIFRAN). This extension project, created in 2012, in addition to improving the knowledge of recently graduated academics, provides veterinary technical assistance to small rural dairy farmers in the city of Franca (SP) and region, especially in relation to the processes that involve the handling, welfare, nutrition, production, reproduction and health of the animals. Each selected student develops these activities for two consecutive years, under the constant supervision and guidance of the institution's faculty, in addition to the assistance of interns. Thus, using the rural extension methodology recommended by the "Rural Extension-Dairy Cattle" Project, It is admitted that it provides the intensive improvement of the veterinarian for being directly inserted in the current job market, in addition to offering instructions to rural producers followed by animal care, which favors the productivity and quality of the product obtained.