Name of Student: ORLAN AMBA

AS230 RELIM EXAM

AS 230 ADVANCES IN DAIRY PRODUCTION

Direction: Please read the instruction carefully. Your exam will be submitted on October
28, 2022 (before 9:00 pm) via email (josephine_nocon07@yahoo.com)

I. Question: From what you have learned in the previous topics assume
that for once you can play the role of a farm owner in your place. What
are things you wanted to put up in dairy production? Write your essay
according to the lessons learned (chap 1-9) in the course. Give
particular attention to the strength and weaknesses of the dairy animal
you have chosen which can be applied in your place. Be sure to give a
rationale for why you choose that type/kind of dairy production.

Answer:

Establishing a dairy production takes into many considerations and is very risky
in attaining its maximum yield of production. Few new dairy farmers will have the money
necessary to start production because it takes a significant financial investment to start
a dairy farm. After all, the land, facilities, machinery, and cows are expensive. It's crucial
to keep in mind that a dairy farm is a commercial enterprise. A SWOT analysis of the
strategy and the available resources is necessary for the development of a detailed
business plan that will help the dairy industry succeed.

The dairy animal we will rear for milk production is where our planning begins.
Cows, goats, sheep, and buffalos are the most common dairy animals. We must
eliminate dairy animals that can't endure the particular region's environment. It concerns
the type of dairy animal we wish to cultivate on our farm. A good dairy breed is a crucial
component of getting milk of high quality. We need to think about what we'll feed our
dairy animals. To save money in the long term and just supplement with concentrates
for the extra nutrients the animals need, it is important to set up the food source by
creating enough pasture area on our dairy farm. Without well-planned and suitable
housing, proper housing that is favorable to excellent health, comfort, and protection
from inclement weather and that would enable the animals to exploit their genetic
potential and feed for optimal output and effective management of cattle will fall short.
The owner's profit may be reduced by additional labor costs brought on by improper
planning in the animal housing arrangement. The adequate cleanliness, durability, and
procedures for the production of clean milk under practical and affordable
circumstances are not less significant. Even if we employ dairy farmers to run our farm
and learn the foundations of how to feed the dairy animals the right nutrients, if we are
new to dairy farming we will still need to invest a lot of time in mastering agricultural
methods. Healthy animals are more productive and create milk that is of higher quality.
Before milk is sold to consumers, it must pass a series of tests (such as the California
Mastitis Test, Organoleptic Test, Clot on Boiling Test, Alcohol Precipitation Test,
Methylene Blue Test, and Somatic Cell Count) that help quickly identify mastitis in dairy
cows.

Managing a dairy animal involves caring for and selecting good quality stocks.
Good body scoring ranges to 3 for dairy animals. Check for the abnormalities of the
calves while it is still in the womb up until it is delivered. Proper management of the
heifer, pregnant herd, and milking herd, managing dry cows, breeding sire, and
replacement sire is very important for the smooth flow of production.

I will consider the goat as my dairy animal because it can easily adapt to adverse
conditions and requires only less management compared to cattle. My farm is a Crop-
livestock-fishery-vermicomposting farming systems. It is an Integrated Farm. The farm
is a coconut based integrated with goat, fish and vermicomposting. The proposed dairy
business and processing site will be operated at P3-Sangay Diot, Ozamiz City, Misamis
Occidental. The site is endowed with water and surrounded by trees and a few
residential houses. We have seen that the place will be suitable for dairy goat farming
since it is away from residential areas. It is also accessible since it is along the road.
The farm's main product is coconut since it is already established in the farm and
integrated by dairy goats, fish and vermicast for additional income for milk and its
manure will serve as organic fertilizer that helps replenishment of the soil. It will supply
coconut and goat milk to the city of Ozamiz and even the neighboring areas of Misamis
of Occidental.The model that I would like to establish on my farm is shown below:

Each component in my farm plays an important role to sustain its productivity. The said
components is explained as follows:

1. Farmer

Me as a farmer plays a vital role in the whole interaction of the system. It is the
center of interaction in the farm that serves as the implementer and at the same time,
the beneficiaries of all the enterprises output. The farm family has to be the center
because they manage the functionality and other the farm activities within the farm.

2. Crops

The crop is an enterprise grown for its essential function. Crop may have
subsystems like mono cropping, mixed crop/intercrop etc. Crop production is heavily
dependent on climatic variables, seeds, water, soil nutrients, biodiversity, and technical
knowledge of the farmers, that is why there is a need to intensify farm activities without
reducing the crop component.

The crops in the IFS model can be the source as the main or secondary
component of all enterprises available on the farm. Crops provide food for subsistence
consumption for households. After the crops have been harvested, crop residues such
rice straw, corn stalks, etc or even those crop leftover that hasn’t passed the marketing
standards can be the source of animal feed for the livestock’s and other option would
turn to compost that serves as organic fertilizer.

3. Livestock

Livestock components may be small or large ruminant and poultry species. But in
my case I will choose goat for meat production. The said component provides food
specifically meat, fuel, manure, drought power, offspring, socio-cultural benefits and
also transport services inside and outside the vicinity of the farm. Integrating livestock
into the farming system model could be a better choice as another source of household
income. Their manure now has a great value for the next component in the farm.

4. Bio-digester

Bio-digesters can play a pivotal role in integrated farming systems by reducing

health risks, facilitating the environment by controlling pollution and at the same time
adding value to livestock excreta especially the manure through the production of
biogas and improved nutrient status of the effluent as fertilizer for ponds and crop land.
Some crop residue maybe a wasted from the household that could be used also as
organic waste through the process of bio-digester. The effluent coming from bio-
digester will not be a waste but an input the other enterprise and that is a pond. As solid
material decays, it uses up oxygen, and fertilizer which is needed by the plant and
animals living in the pond.

5. Pond

The pond component provides also food specifically fishes to the family
household. The Effluent coming from bio-digester can be recycled as an input as
organic matter in the pond sludge will soon decompose adding a variety of nutrients that
the microorganism will work for the development of algae that can be a source of food
by fishes. Additionally, after the fish harvest nutrient-fish pond water can be used to
irrigate the crops in the farm since it contains nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae which can
improve now the soil fertility in the crop component.

Therefore, adopting different farming system models at your farm even in a small
scale-operation could enhance the productivity of the farm as a whole. The continuous
flow of income to the farmer provided by the different enterprises uplift employment
opportunities for farm family members. While improving the profitability in terms of
additional net return of the household, maintaining and sustaining also the
environmental aspect especially the soil health is necessary. Thus, proper integration of
all the components/enterprises within my farm and proper utilization of inputs is the key
to a successful farming system model.