When building scenarios, we take into account main driving forces and restrictions.
The main driving forces in dairy cattle breeding are:
- Consumer acceptance
- Production efficiency
- Animal welfare
- Biodiversity
The main
restrictions are:
- Rate of inbreeding 1% per generation
- No use of transgenics
Based on these starting points, two following
two extreme scenarios for
dairy cattle breeding in 2020 were designed:
Two Scenarios for Dairy Cattle Breeding in 2020
| | 1. Large scale farming | 2. Market in two segments |
| Breeding Industry | - Maily large scale producers
- Cows inside; controlled environment
- Specialised dairy farms
| - Small number of large scale farms for bulk production; large number of smaller farms for niche markets
- Extensive farming; cow outside
- Production differentatiation
|
| Reasons for the Situation | - Consumers not willing to pay for extra-value products
- Emphasis on high production; basic health level
| - Consumers pay for extra-value products
- Balanced breeding: health and production equally important
|
| Breeding Goals | - Robust cow with good production and fertility
- Basic health level
| - Robust, balanced cow; performs well in range of farming systems
- Good (udder) health, strong legs
|
| Breeding Methods | - Progeny testing in commercial herds
- Use of AI
- Use of reproductive techniques on elite cows
| |
Breeding is...
