Dairy livestock production in Southern Europe

The Workshop on “dairy livestock production in Southern Europe” took place in Thessaloniki, Greece from 10th-11 th September 2015. The delegates included major stakeholders in livestock production from Greece and neighbour countries as well as researchers and producers.

The workshop opened by the Greek Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Demetrios Melas who gave a welcome speech. Then the Deputy Head of Rural Economy of the Regional Government of Central Macedonia, Mr Ioannis Taxmazidi, presented some key issues regarding the importance of livestock production in the Region of Central Macedonia. During the rest of the workshop the latest developments in the global livestock sector were presented with special reference to Mediterranean countries.

Moreover the outputs from the EU FP7 project SOLID were presented by some of the speakers particularly as they relate to the Mediterranean region. Keynote speakers from different countries presented the dynamics of different livestock sectors in Greece and worldwide.

The presentations explored a wide range of issues covering the most important ruminant species relating to research and technology in production, novel products, quality and safety, as well as common agricultural policy (CAP). Emphasis was given to the dynamics of the livestock sector and its implications for sustainable development. In this respect the results of the SOLID project were specifically adressed. Details of the scientific program as well as the presentation of all speaker can be found below:

 

Low-input cows need more energy for maintenance

ManorFarmApril1 red 2SOLID SCIENCEContrasting genotypes of dairy cows can use feed energy with similar efficiencies for milk production, but they require more energy for maintenance of basal activities when managed under low than high input systems. This result needs to be implemented in practice to improve production efficiency and reduce environmental footprint.

By Dr. Tianhai Yan

A dairy cow needs enough nutrients to meet her requirements for basal activity, milk production, body weight gain and pregnancy. These demands are determined by calculation of amount of feed energy requirements using dairy cow energy rationing systems.

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Goats and cheese – a joint passion of the Pérez Family

Two brother and their families make a living on 1200 dairy goats, 400 hectares and a small farm dairy. SOLID helped them improve their feeding strategy.

By Ulla Skovsbøl

Hundreds of black goats swarm around the visitors as the agricultural scientists of the SOLID project approach the Pérez Family Farm in the Andalusian countryside outside Granada on for a farm visit.

Belen md ost 4x5

José Luis Perez Peula and his brother Antonio Perez Peula  run the farm with two milkers and a an elderly goat herd, while his daughter Belén is in charge of the farm dairy producing a delicious goat cheese using 20 percent of the milk produced on farm  by his daughter Belen Peréz Peula  – the rest is delivered to the local dairy.

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Spanish nutritionists put olives and tomatoes on the goat menu

David og kollega m oliven storBased on research from the SOLID project Spanish nutritionists recommend Mediterranean  farmers to apply a low input strategy using by-products from the olive- and greenhouse industry as feed for dairy goats.

By Ulla Skovsbøl

Tomato salad with rich olive oil is a simple but delicious dish on the Mediterranean dining table. But tomatoes and olives are not only suited for the human diet  – silages made out of waste from the olive and tomato industries have also proved to be an attractive feed for dairy goats.

Olive pulp is very wet

Within the SOLID project the scientists at the Animal Nutrition Institute at the research institution CSIC in Granada have tested a broad range of by-products fit for husbandry production on low input farms.

In particular, leaves and pulp from the olive oil industry and wasted fruits from the intensive greenhouse production – primarily tomatoes – appeared to be promising as goat feed.

Both types of products were fed as silage and tested in vitro as well as in vivo at the institute and also on case study farms. Silage made out of tomato waste mixed with straw and barley appears to be very well suited for feeding ruminants, although the challenge is the high moisture of the tomatoes.

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Goats rampant the cauliflower field – intentionally

Goats apparently love cauliflower. The video shot by Spanish animal nutritionists involved in the SOLID project leaves no doubt. The movie star goats belong to the Pérez Family, who run a dairy goat farm outside Granada in Southern Spain.

The farm has been involved in the participatory research conducted by the Animal Nutrition Institute at CSIC in Granada aimed at finding the means to reduce livestock feeding costs as part of the SOLID project.

Apparently, the goats also enjoyed being involved in SOLID, in particular as it implied new and interesting diets such as self-service dinner in the cauliflower field, humorously documented on the video.  They also tested silage made with waste from the tomato and olive industries but self-service cauliflowers was the winner!

Read more about the tomato and olive silage

…. and watch a video about feeding goats with byproducts.