CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

Incorporation of Water Buffalo into The Canadian Dairy Industry: Mitigating Climate Change
AGR 1110, 0103
Kathryn Martin
November 26, 2019

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO WATER BUFFALO……………………………………………3

A. Origin of Water Buffalo
B. Description of the different breeds of Water Buffalo
C. International Water Buffalo dairy farms

PART II: THE CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY……………………………………………….5

A. Types of dairy farm management systems
B. Supply management: imports and exports
C. Importance of the Dairy industry to Canadas economy

PART III: CLIMATE CHANGE IN CANADA………………………………………………….9

A. Changes to the Canadian Climate overview
B. Climate changes specific to Ontario and Quebec
C. Negative effects on the Dairy Industry

PART IV: WATER BUFFALO INCORPERATION & COMPARISON………………………11

A. Water Buffalo: positive impact on the Canadian dairy industry
B. Production Statistics: Holstein and Water Buffalo
C. Key positive and negative health characteristics: Holstein and Water Buffalo
D. Canadian run Water Buffalo farms

PART V: INDEPTH ANALYSIS OF WATER BUFFALO COSTS…………………………...15

A. Cost of obtaining the animals: buying and breeding
B. Feed prices per day

PART VI: RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION……………………………………...16

A. Recommendations
B. Conclusions

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO WATER BUFFALO

Origin of Water Buffalo

The Water Buffalo was one of the main ruminant animals that provided dairy products

and used their large structure to do heavy work. This breed was most important in many

countries within Asia and Africa (Khan, 2002). Originating in Asia, the Water Buffalo (Bubalus

bubalis) made up only a small amount of approximately one-ninth of the overall world bovine

population (Khan, 2002). Water Buffalo were thought to have been domesticated around 2500 to

3000 BC (Fahimuddin, 1975). This domestication most likely took place in India and spread onto

China as well. Since there are two breeds of Water Buffalo it is important to recognize that this

domestication was referring to the more common river buffalo. As the swamp buffalo are much

less common and it is undetermined where they were domesticated (Fahimuddin, 1975).

Water Buffalo were first domesticated because of the dairy and meat products that they

could provide (FAO, 2019). Later on, they were soon used as work animals to carry heavy loads

or do field work, taking the workload off humans. These domestic Water Buffalo now contribute

to the global milk production as they are used in many countries (for example South Asia) as a

primary milk producing animal (FAO, 2019). The world population of Water Buffalo is

Figure 1. World Distribution of Water Buffalo in 1991. Shows the highest

populated area is clearly Asia (Hoffpauir, 2008).

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approximately 168 million, mainly populating Asia, but the main dairy producers are located in

India and Pakistan (FAO, 2019).

Description of the different breeds of Water Buffalo

Throughout the many countries of the world, there are many different breeds of Water

Buffalo. There are Water Buffalo that are better for meat production, dairy production, and even

just as work animals. The two main groups of Water Buffalo include the river and the swamp

type.

The river breed is a combination of both dairy and draft animals and can be broken down

further into subgroups based on horn confirmation. The first subgroup can be determined as the

horns are curled and close to the head of the animal, some examples being the Murrah (of India)

and the Nili-Ravi (of Pakistan) (Cockrill, 1981). The second subgroup of the river buffalo

express physical features including upswept crescent horns (Cockrill, 1981). These two types of

Water Buffalo are known especially for their milk production (Cockrill, 1981).

Looking at the less well known swam buffalo, there is only one subgroup to examine.

These animals can be noticed by their huge horns which grow in a semi-circular formation

growing outward from the cattle’s head (Cockrill, 1981). This breed can vary in size greatly

ranging from a large 1000kg to the smaller 250kg cattle (Cockrill, 1981). These animals are

known for their versatility, muscle power, and their phenomenal potential for meat production

(Cockrill, 1981).

International Water Buffalo dairy farms

Although Water Buffalo dairy farms are not the most common in Canada, they do make

up a large portion of dairy farms around the world. One common place for Water Buffalo dairy

farms is India. Although the buffalo dairy farms in India are quite large, they are very traditionl

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in their ways (Knuivers, 2019). One example of an Idian dairy farm is a farm run by Sunil

Jagannath Badhale, where they milk around 438 buffalo all by hand twice a day. They split the

herd into groups of 30 animals per barn, and have approximately 15 employees (Kunivers,

2019). This is a common way to manage a dairy farm in India, and how the majority of the larger

farms work. One of the largest dairy farms, Haringghata farm, milks approximately 3,500

buffalo in addition to their herd of cattle (Cockrill, 1967).

Another area of the globe where Water Buffalo are a popular dairy producing breed is

Italy. Italian water buffalo farms are more on the modern side of dairy farming and includes

farms with robotic milking systems. Tentuta Vannulo is located in southern Italy, and houses

around 600 water buffalo in a free stall dairy barn (CBS News, 2019). They are the only farm

known to milk water buffalo using the robotic system and believe that the comfort of the buffalo

is the key to making a better-quality product (CBS News, 2019). Water Buffalo milk is mainly

used in the production of cheese, and Italy is one of the main producers of fine cheese. This

explains the high population of Water Buffalo and the reason why Italy’s management strategies

are so advanced.

PART II: THE CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY

Types of dairy farm management systems

In Canada there is a large range to examine when it comes to farm size. Although many

may assume that all dairy farms are large businesses, within the Canadian Dairy Industry there

are many small-scale family-run dairy farms. With approximately 98% of Canadian dairy farms

being family owned, the average herd size throughout Canada is approximately 89 cows,

although there is a range of 30-1000 cows (DFC, 2019).

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

As shown below in Table 1, dairy farms are spread out over most of Canada with the
Table 1. Population of dairy farms in Canada. Including number of farms, number of dairy cows, and
number of heifers (Canadian Dairy Information Centre, 2019).

largest producing provinces being Ontario and Quebec. Within these two provinces there is a

variance in farm size and management systems. One management system is a free stall barn with

parlour milking system, where the cows are housed in a barn with open stalls, free choice feed

and stalls (Georgiev et al, 2016). The cows are brought to the milking parlor at specific times

during the day where there are usually two milking rows with approximately 10 stalls in each,

depending on herd size (Georgiev et al, 2016). More dairy farms are moving to automated

milking systems (AMS) with free stall housing. This allows cows to move freely around the

barn, and when they need to be milked, they can line up for the robot (Deming et.al, 2013). Cows

have feed available at all times of the day and have access to stalls where they can lie down and

rest. In this type of system, it is dependent on the cow how much feed they will consume and

cannot be controlled (Deming et al, 2013). Another way that dairy cattle are housed is in a tie

stall barn. In a tie stall barn cows are tied to a specific stall and depending on the barn cows can

be let outside usually once a day if weather permits (Popescu et al, 2013). This type of barn style

allows farmers to feed each individual cow to their specific needs, it also allows for easy

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observation of the animal and its behavior and eating patterns. These cows are milked by

bringing the milking system to the animal where the milk runs to the cooler in an overhead

pipeline (Popescu et al, 2013).

Supply management: imports and exports

The Canadian Dairy Industry has been run a certain way for many years now, by having a

system implemented that provided the right amount of milk to meet the Canadian markets

demand. This is done by the concept of supply management, that makes sure there is enough

milk produced in order to meet the consumers demand (Blois, 2013). Within this supply

managed system there is a controlled amount of both exports and imports that the dairy industry

undergoes (Blois, 2013).

As shown in Table 2 below, it is clear that the imported dairy products include the main

product of cheese. The majority of this product is most likely imported from Italy, as they farm

Table 2. Highlights the imports and exports of the Canadian Dairy Industry in 2017. Information shown
includes that one of the main products imported to Canada is cheese from places like Italy (Canadian Dairy
Information Centre, 2019).

many Water Buffalo and buffalo milk is used in the production of cheese (Canadian Dairy

Information Centre, 2019). Canada has begun to enter this area of production of products such as

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specialty cheeses as they continue to grow adding more animals such as goat, ewe and water

buffalo (Canadian Dairy Information Centre, 2019).

Looking closer at the numbers, Canadian dairy imports are much higher than exports.

Dairy imports in 2017 totaled around $872.6 million, where exports only reached $398.9 million

(Canadian Dairy Information Centre, 2019). Again, looking at the imported products included

$77.4 million from Italy, and most likely included things like specialty cheese products. This is

because Canadian dairy farms don’t house a lot of animals that produce a high fat milk product,

as most of the industry is made up of the popular Holstein cow (Canadian Dairy Information

Centre, 2019).

Importance of the Dairy industry to Canadas economy

The Canadian dairy industry employs many Canadian farmers and provides an income to

many families. Although there is not much income that comes from the small number of dairy

products that are exported, the industry is key for meeting consumers demand. The supply

managed system assures that the demand for dairy products will always be met and assures a

steady income for the producer as well.

Without the production of dairy products in Canada, there would be an extensive amount

of money lost to paying other countries to produce the dairy products. Another way that the

Canadian dairy industry could provide more dairy products is by incorporating animals that

produce a high fat milk product in order to make specialty cheeses that Canada imports so much

of. An example of an animal that Canada could incorporate into the two highest producing

provinces (Ontario and Quebec) is water buffalo.

PART III: CLIMATE CHANGE IN CANADA

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

Changes to the Canadian Climate overview

The Canadian climate has begun to change and has been changing for many years now.

The rate of these changes is not only going to increase, but the intensity of the alterations is also

going to increase. Although Canada experiences many changes in overall temperature throughout

the seasons it has been recorded that overall the temperature is increasing, as shown in Figure 2,

warming Canadas overall temperature (Prairie Climate Centre, 2017). In addition, there is also

longer periods of excessive precipitation in place of the large amounts of snow fall Canada used

to undergo; this can be observed in Figure 3 below (Prairie Climate Centre, 2017). With this also

comes rapid melting periods (of

snow), which in end results in

flooding (Statistics Canada, 2016).

These changing environmental

characteristics can also result in

extreme events such as an increase

in storm activity, creating more

intense storms such as floods and

tornados. These extreme weather

events can devastate areas Figure 2. Canada’s future predicted temperature increase in the month of
January during 2051-2080 (Prairie Climate Centre, 2017).
including farmers as floods can

destroy their crops and tornadoes putting their livestock in danger (Statistics Canada, 2016).

Climate change specific to Ontario and Quebec

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

By observing both Figure 2 and Figure 3, it is clear that both Ontario and Quebec are

going to undergo vast

changes in their climate

patterns (Prairie Climate

Centre, 2017). By 2051, it is

predicted that in January

Ontario’s temperature is

going to increase by

approximately 7-9°C in most

areas. In Quebec during the

Figure 3. Canada’s future predicted precipitation rates during the month of
month of January it is January in 2051-2080 (Prairie Climate Centre, 2017).

predicted that the temperature is going to increase from 6°C all the way to increased

temperatures of over 12°C in the northern regions. As for precipitation rates during the month of

January, by 2051 Ontario’s predicted precipitation amounts is going to increase in a range from

10-45% depending again on the area of Ontario. Quebec will undergo a higher change in

precipitation amounts mostly increasing by 30-45% by 2051 (Prairie Climate Centre, 2017).

Negative effects on the Dairy Industry

As the climate continues to change, there will be challenges that the dairy farmers of

Canada will begin to undergo. These struggles include altering their planting season, lower crop

yields, and most importantly the stress of the changing climate that is put on their animals. As

the cattle are projected to have to undergo the warmer temperatures there will be negative effects

on dry matter intake which in the end lowers the production rate of the animal (Adams et al,

1998).

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

The warmer temperatures and higher precipitation rates put the animals in an

uncomfortable (humid) environment if they are not able to cool themselves down. When a cow

undergoes this warm unnatural environment, they begin to lose their appetite and do not

consume the necessary amount of feed to successfully produce a good milk yield. With the

changing temperature and the lower crop yields there can also be a drop in forage quality. This in

turn also leads to lower milk production, as the cow is not consuming the needed nutrition

requirements to produce high yields of milk (Adams et al, 1998). It is important to realize these

negative impacts and use the knowledge to try and mitigate the effects of climate change on

livestock welfare.

PART IV: WATER BUFFALO INCORPERATION & COMPARISON

Water Buffalo: positive impact on the Canadian dairy industry

Incorporating Water Buffalo into the Canadian dairy industry would help farmers

overcome the challenges of climate change. The water buffalo is said to be one of the most

important tropical cattle species since they can still work and produce in such harsh climates

(Shafie, 1993). Water buffalo thrive in hot conditions, and they have incredible capabilities to

undergo harsh hot, humid, muddy environments. They originated in swampy hot areas of

Southeast Asia so they have many physical adaptations in order to strive in this type of

environment (Shafie, 1993).

As the warming temperatures cause an uncomfortable environment for dairy cattle, they

will be a decrease in production rates in the animals. Farmers already see a decline in milk

production over the summer months. This is predicted to be the trend as climate change warms

the seasonal temperatures even more, creating a humid climate that ends up in an overall

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

decrease in milk production (Klinedinst, 1993). It is also predicted that hotter temperatures will

create a lower conception rate, resulting in fewer calves and again lower production (Klinedinst,

1993). This will become a great challenge for farmers one, because breeding cows is expensive

and with climate change making it harder to get cattle pregnant there can be a lot of wasted

money. Also, in order for a cow to produce milk she must first have a calf. If the cow struggles

to get pregnant that means less milk for the farmer and again, loss of income.

By incorporating water buffalo into an already established dairy farm, farmers can

manage animals that have no problem producing and reproducing in the hot humid environment.

This will take the stress off both the cattle and the farmer as they do not have to worry about the

decrease in milk production or conception rates.

Production Statistics: Holstein and Water Buffalo

One of the biggest concerns when thinking about incorporating water buffalo into the

Canadian dairy industry is the differences in production rates of a Holstein and water buffalo.

The Holstein cow on average produces around 35 liters per day while the water buffalo only

produces around 10 liters as shown in Table 3 below (Real Agriculture, 2019). This is can be

concerning as production rates need to meet the consumers demand. In Italy they are working to

increase this production yield, trying different methods including udder stimulation, feeding

Table 3. Comparison of milk production and components in the Holstein cow and Water Buffalo (Real
Agriculture, 2019).
Milk Component Holstein Cow Water Buffalo

Production / day (L) 35-40 L 10 L

Fat % 4% 8%

Protein % 3-4 % 5-6 %

during milking, and even oxytocin injections (Borghese et al, 2007).

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

Another positive trait of the water buffalo includes the components of the milk in comparison

to the Holstein. Again, show in in Table 3 above, Water buffalo milk contains 8% fat and 5-6%

protein, where Holstein milk produces only 4% fat and 3-4% protein (Real Agriculture, 2019).

This is important in the production of the fine cheeses and where the production of buffalo milk

could be used in the Canadian market to offset the demand for the popular Holstein cow milk.

Key positive and negative health characteristics: Holstein and Water Buffalo

Along with the great quality of milk that the Water Buffalo produces, they also have

promising health characteristics when compared to the Holstein cow. When exposed to intense

heat, Holsteins can undergo a lot of stress (Klinedinst, 1993). This results in health concerns for

the animals as they may stop eating, they can have trouble getting pregnant, and can also be

more suspectable to common cattle diseases including mastitis (Klinedinst, 1993). Mastitis is an

infection or simply an inflammation to the mammary gland where there is swelling, heat, pain,

and edema (Constable et al, 2017). This infection is more common in the humid environments

where cows housing isn’t dry, cows are uncomfortable and bacteria also loves the humid

temperatures (Constable et al, 2017).

This environment that cause Holstein cows to struggle is an environment that water

buffalo can produce and reproduce in with no issues. Since the water buffalo originated in a

tropical or subtropical environment they thrive in the hot humid climates (Shafie, 1993). Water

buffalo have special layer covering their thick skin that is a greasy sebum layer which melts in

extreme heat, becoming glossy and reflects the heat rays. This is why, although buffalos tend to

reproduce more commonly in colder seasons, they are still capable of successfully reproducing in

the warmer months (Shafie, 1993). Since water buffalo are used to a muddy environment their

hoofs are extremely resistant to common hoof rot problems, there has not been any observation

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of these types of hoof problems (Cockrill, 1981). One of the most positive characteristics of the

water buffalo is their immunity to common cattle diseases. One example of a common disease

that Holsteins struggle with, especially in humid environments, is mastitis (Latifova, 2014).

Water buffalo tend to be more resistant to mastitis than the common Holstein, which is an

important trait as mastitis decreases milk production and can affect overall animal health (Khan,

2002).

Canadian run Water Buffalo farms

Although water buffalo farms are not very common in Canada, there are few spread out

across the country. Two examples of water buffalo farms in Ontario, are The Ontario Water

Buffalo Company, and Tenderbuff Water Buffalo.

The Ontario Water Buffalo Company is located in located in Stirling, Ontario and they

are home to over 600 water buffalo, milking approximately 110 (Ontario Water Buffalo, 2019).

They began farming water buffalo in 2008 when they decided to purchase 40 Italian-bred water

buffalo. The milk from their 110 buffalo gets transported to Quality Cheese which is located in

Vaughan, Ontario (Ontario Water Buffalo, 2019).

A second example of a water buffalo farm is the Tenderbuff Water Buffaloes, which is

located in Stratford, Ontario (Koskamp Family Farms, 2019). The Koskamp family milks both

Holsteins (130) and water buffalo (110) using the same rotary parlor (Real Agriculture, 2019).

This is done by first milking the Holsteins, and then running a full wash cycle before milking the

water buffalo. The milk then is shipped to a cheese processer which is located in Toronto,

Ontario (Real Agriculture, 2019). This is a prime example of a Canadian dairy farm

incorporating the water buffalo into their already established herd, and still successfully

producing high quality milk products.

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

PART V: ANALYSIS OF WATER BUFFALO COSTS

Cost of obtaining the animals: buying and breeding

Although it is hard to determine an exact initial cost of starting a herd of water buffalo,

approximate costs can be analyzed using similar values. Although water buffalo are still quite

exotic animals to Canada, a mature cow is priced at approximately $5,000-$8,000 which is

around the price of a good Holstein cow (The London Free Press, 2014). The average starting

herd size is approximately 40 water buffalo, depending on the barn management style that the

buffalo are being incorporated into (The Ontario Water Buffalo, 2019). Since water buffalo are

not a supply managed breed in Canada, there is no extra cost to milk water bufflo (Latifova,

2014). Although once started herd size can increase, through breeding methods including

artificial insemination (AI), which is the common breeding method for Ontario farmers

(Latifova, 2014).

Breeding prices can fluctuate, as reproduction rate can become low since water buffalo’s

do not show a good standing heat and can easily be missed (Latifova, 2014). This can cause

higher breeding prices if a heat is missed, breeding a single buffalo multiple times results in a

higher overall cost. Most water buffalo farmers import their buffalo semen, so an average price is

undetermined and can fluctuate depending on the bull of choice (The Ontario Water Buffalo,

2019).

Feed prices per day

The diet of a water buffalo being a ruminant, is very similar to the common Holstein cow.

Ontario water buffalo farms are feeding a diet of hay, forages with a little bit of corn (Koskamp

Family Farms, 2019). This type of ration would be fed daily to the animals allowing them to

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

produce a high-quality milk product. The cost of feed is the largest expense that a farmer would

have, as feed costs depend on the farm management style. Depending on the farm a weekly feed

bill could fluctuate greatly as some farms buy just the grain supplement and mix the feed on farm

where others purchase every component including the hay, forage, and supplement.

For an approximate value, since the water buffalos’ diet is similar to the Holsteins, the

amount of dry matter intake per day can be approximated. Based on the average weight of a

Holstein cow and the weight of feed consumed, it can be determined that they consume 3% of

their body weight in dry matter per day (St-Pierre, 2014). If dry matter is priced at $0.115/lb, and

each 1,200lb lactating water buffalo is consuming 3 % of their body weight, they would each

consume 36 lbs of dry matter per day (St-Pierre, 2014). With the start-up herd of 40 water

buffalo consuming 36 lbs of dry matter cost of feed per day can be determined by: 40 x 36 x

$0.115 = $165.60. This can help farmers understand the extra costs to incorporating water

buffalo into their dairy farm.

PART VI: RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

Recommendations

When recommending the incorporation of water buffalo into a Canadian dairy farm it is

important to take farm size, management style, and financial state into consideration. Based off

of the research done in the above report the style of barn needed for the incorporation of water

buffalo would need a separate housing arrangement for the water buffalo, preferably with a

parlor but also is possible with a robotic milking system. The existing milking system would

work for the buffalo, as long as a wash cycle is done between breeds.

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CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY: WATER BUFFALO

Farm size would need to be large enough to support the cost to buy the starting herd of

water buffalo. It would need to be large enough also to have the parlor or robot style of milking.

In order for the farmer to be successful throughout the incorporation of the water buffalo they

need to still have a large income to offset the cost of the water buffalo herd and the extra feed

costs.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the incorporation of water buffalo into the Canadian Agriculture industry

would create a viable option to help farmers combat the challenges of global climate change. As

increasing temperatures and humid environments put stress on dairy cattle effecting their

production rates, it will lead to a drop in the farmers income creating challenges for the farmer.

By incorporating water buffalo, which are animals that strive in this type of environment, they

would replace this drop in milk production while creating products that Canada usually imports.

This results in a positive effect on Canadian economy while helping farmers overcome the

challenges of climate change.

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