Dairy R&D in SA

Longevity in dairy cows is an important trait affecting the genetic progress, lifetime (birth to cull) performance and lifetime efficiency. An early age at first calving increases productive life (total number of days in milk) while also reducing rearing costs, and financial sustainability of a dairy herd. However, calving problems may increase when age at first calving is too early. For this reason most farmers rear heifers to reach first calving at an older age although not necessarily at a higher live weight.

The purpose of the study by the authors cited below was to characterize Lactobacillus isolates from bovine and dairy origin for their probiotic attributes, with the aim of assessing their safety for human use. The probiotic properties evaluated were acid and bile resistance, bile salt hydrolase activity, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic sensitivity, gelatinase and lipase production, and hemolytic activity.

The impact of mastitis is significant and costly. Mastitis leads to economic losses to both the farmer and processor, welfare implications for the cow and antimicrobial resistance concerns. Describing and analyzing the measures used to prevent this disease and to minimize the losses is important from an economic perspective. In evaluating the economics of managing mastitis, farmers need to take into account losses incurred subsequent to the disease (failure cost, FC) and those invested to prevent the disease (preventive cost, PC).

Laboratory diagnosis of mastitis can be costly and time consuming, therefore cow-side tests such as the California Milk Cell Test (CMCT) and Milk Electrical Resistance (MER) need to be utilised to full potential. It has been estimated that financial benefit of correct diagnosis of mastitis per cow for the CMCT, MER and the tests done in parallel was R899, R519 and R1065 respectively. The CMCT was shown to be 11% more beneficial than the MER test, whilst using the tests in parallel was shown to be the most beneficial method for evaluating the mastitis-control programme.

The overemphasis on economic challenges to small-scale farmers often overshadows the debate about potentiality of artisanal cheeses, which can be processed using local resources, with low input of ingredients and machinery. There is a need to evaluate the processing of artisanal cheeses in rural areas with appropriate economic approaches that consider the local people’s social-economic status, culture, and region. Strategies that could improve farmers’ productivity include technical training, indigenous knowledge development, mentorship, financial support and working as cooperatives.

 Discipline: health;                                                                                        

Discipline: cheese; 

The effect of 4 kGy ionisation irradiation, combined with ripening temperatures at 8°C and 16°C on the ripening of Cheddar cheese was investigated. Changes in cheeses were monitored by sensory, microbiological, and chemical analyses.

Discipline: Economics;

Discipline: cheese; 

Discipline: nutrition/feeding;