A comparison of dairy cattle systems in an irrigated perimeter and in a suburban region: case study from Morocco

Abstract

Multivariate analyses were used to compare dairy production practices and their consequences on milk yield and profitability in cattle farms from two representative regions of Morocco. A regular follow-up of 118 farms (48 in the Rabat-Salé suburban belt and 70 in the Gharb irrigated perimeter) was undertaken to obtain accurate data. Results show significant differences between the two regions. Intensive milk production was more frequent in the suburban zone (more concentrates and better annual milk yield per cow). When conducting a "within-region" principal components analysis, farms' discrimination appeared to take into account all management variables (feeding, cattle sales, profitability), with no reference to farms' structural parameters (arable land and number of cattle). A typology of farms was then established using cluster analysis, with 4 distinct groups, namely: a) concentrates wasters, b) farms with a relatively important milk yield per cow, c) deficit dairy farms and d) beef oriented farms. The last group included almost exclusively farms from the irrigated perimeter (5 out of 7). These results indicate that dairy production promotion in Morocco requires more than just the intensification of forage production, but should focus also on improving management practices. The extension of complete and balanced dairy rations is urgently needed to enhance milk yield and profitability.

Biophysical and economic water productivity of dual-purpose cattle farming

“…This agrees with previous research in Morocco (Sraïri et al, 2009a) and other countries (Armstrong, 2004;Sultana et al, 2014). High variability among farms was observed, reflecting differences resulting from on-farm practices in all production functions, from water to cattle products.…”

“…In addition, its water requirements are mainly fulfilled from rainfall. Lucerne DM yield reached an average of 9190 kg/ha, which is higher than the results of a previous study (6820 kg of DM/ha) conducted in a semi-arid irrigation scheme in Morocco (Sraïri et al, 2009a). The differences may be explained by higher rainfall in the current study (451 v. 210 mm).…”

“…This was particularly observed for summer crops relying on irrigation. The average water volumes used to grow lucerne obtained in this study are similar to those reported for another large-scale irrigation scheme in Morocco (Sraïri et al, 2009a). However, since the previous study took place in an semi-arid region with even lower rainfall (210 mm/year), almost 82% of total water in that study came from irrigation.…”

Supporting small-scale dairy farmers in increasing milk production: evidence from Morocco

“…Indeed, these farms have specific characteristics that ensure their efficiency and resilience against milk market volatility such as their dualpurpose breeding practices and low labour costs (Sraïri et al 2009a). Dairy production provides them with a good income opportunity, but their limited land resources, especially in irrigated perimeters, mean they do not have enough fodder and consequently feed their cows imbalanced dietary rations which have a negative impact on milk yield and profitability (Sraïri et al 2009b). Increasing their milk production to respond to market demand should be based on improving milk yield per cow rather than increasing the cow stocking rate at farm level, which is already quite high (MADR 2008).…”

The dairy chains in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia): from self sufficiency options to food dependency?

“…Such a structure implies a relatively high number of farms with cattle (respectively 212,000; 720,000 and 112,000 in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), with marked differences in their production characteristics: genetic type of cattle, feeding systems, respective weight of meat and milk in the production strategies, etc. Attempts to establish typologies of farms on their functioning characteristics have revealed that variables such as the efficiency of feed resources conversion to milk, the level of dairy intensification (mainly milk yield per lactating cow) and the economic profitability are the most decisive, with no effect of farms geographic location (whether in an irrigated scheme or a rain fed suburban region) (Sraïri et al 2009b). Therefore, cattle’s feeding represents an important constraint in this region and has significant consequences on farms’ performances.…”