Dairy goat production systems

Abstract

Goat production concentrated in developing countries (tropics, dry areas), contributes largely to the livelihoods of low and medium income farmers. Farming systems in these areas have evolved to cope with the formidable constraints imposed by harsh natural and economic conditions by adapting integrated crop/livestock production strategies. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, due to its almost exclusive extensive nature, goat production relies mainly on grazing on communal lands that hardly provide the minimum nutrient requirements due to overstocking and degradation. While some of these production systems are becoming semi-intensive, appropriate breeding strategies should be designed to promote conservation and improvement of their unique attributes, such as adaptability, water use efficiency and suitability under harsh climatic conditions. In Europe, dairy goat production is more common around the Mediterranean basin, where it is important from an economic, environmental and sociological perspective to the Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Europe owns only 5.1 % of the world's dairy goat herds, but produces 15.6 % of the world's goat milk; this is the only continent where goat milk has such an economic importance and organization. In developing countries the dairy goat sector requires a systemic approach, whereby nutrition, animal health, breeding, know-how, inputs and technologies must be assembled. This would allow the optimization of natural and local resources and would promote the transition from a risk reduction strategy towards an increased productivity strategy. Such an increase would privilege production efficiency based on clean, green and ethical practices for responsible innovation.

Physicochemical characterization of goat milk produced in the Comarca Lagunera, Mexico

“…The remaining 36% are located in the central–temperate regions (Guanajuato and Queretaro) of the country (Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA‐SIAP), ). Goat milk could be positioned on a world scale due to its nonallergenic properties, digestive capacity, and its contribution to reduce poverty and malnutrition at the family level in small‐scale producers, as well as in the final consumer (Chacón, ; Escareño et al., ; Haenlein, ; Kumar et al., ).…”

“…The production of goats in arid regions is where poverty, water scarcity and drought prevail (Gonzalez‐Bulnes, Meza‐Herrera, Rekik, Ben Salem, & Kridli, ). The production systems belonging to producers with few resources are strongly dependent on grazing on communal lands, have low productivity, and contribute to the sustenance of farmers and their families (Echavarría et al., ; Escareño et al., ; Gonzalez‐Bulnes et al., ). They have the advantage that manure from grazing ruminants does not produce significant quantities of CH 4 because, in a large extent, the manure remains in aerobic conditions (Hristov et al., ).…”

Elevage caprin en Afrique de l’Ouest : une synthèse

“…En effet, la population caprine très importante (près de 128 627 000 têtes en 2012) connaît une croissance marquée (taux de croît annuel de 3,4 % au cours de cette dernière décennie ; Faostat, 2013). Les capacités d'adaptation des caprins et leur comportement alimentaire leur permettent de se nourrir d'aliments fibreux et justifient leur large diffusion dans différents systèmes d'élevage (Alexandre et Mandonnet, 2005), même parmi les plus arides (Lebbie et Ramsay, 1999 ;Escareño et al, 2013) où ils sont détenus par les couches les plus vulnérables des populations, en particulier les femmes (Morand-Fehr et al, 2004). L'élevage caprin est une source non négligeable de viande, surtout en milieu rural où il n'est pas fréquent d'abattre les bovins.…”

Determination of Major and Minor Elements in Maltese Sheep, Goat and Cow Milk Using Microwave Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry

“…With regards to the introduction of innovative products on the market, according to Escareño et al (2013), dairy goat production is common in the Mediterranean basin particularly in France, Spain, Greece and Italy and its economical importance is highlighted by the fact that even though Europe holds only 5.1% of the world's dairy goat herds, it produces 15% of the world's goat milk. However in Malta, even though goat milk was very popular in the 1800s', according to Wyatt (2009) its popularity declined after the Brucellosis outbreak in the 1880s' that was particularly linked with consumption of raw goat milk.…”