Farm structure or farm management: effective ways to reduce nutrient surpluses on dairy farms and their financial impacts

Evolution of farm management, nitrogen efficiency and economic performance on Dutch dairy farms reducing external inputs

“…Economic information on variable returns (from milk and meat sales and other sources) and variable costs (of fertilizers, feed purchases, veterinary care, breeding association and miscellaneous costs) for years 1 to 4 was supplied by accountancy agencies. This information was used to calculate gross margin per 100 kg of milk, which is considered the most appropriate economic indicator in a fixed milk quota system (Rougoor et al, 1997) and is more sensitive to changes in farm management than total farm results, which also include fixed costs (Ondersteijn et al, 2003a).…”

Spatial assessment of animal manure spreading and groundwater nitrate pollution

“…Studies have revealed that farm management is more effective than farm structure in reducing nutrient surplus (Ondersteijn et al, 2003). Improving management also has the potential to improve economics (Kuipers and Mandersloot, 1999;Osei et al, 2003).…”

Could animal production become a profession?

“…These include reducing the use of fertiliser; matching the quantity and nutrient content of feed to the needs of individual animals; better timing of fertilizing, grazing and harvesting of grasslands; and use of low-emission methods for removal and storage of manure (Hartung and Phillips, 1994;Ondersteijn et al, 2003). In a study of Dutch dairy farms, Ondersteijn et al (2003) found that management factors were much more important for reducing pollution than structural features of the farm.…”