Livestock diversification prospects for climate change adaptation in Dangila district, Ethiopia

Impacts of climate change-induced heat stress on pig productivity in China

The economic impacts of climate-induced heat stress on pig farming have not been sufficiently investigated, despite the significant threat it poses to the industry. In this study, we coupled consecutive years of county-scale meteorological data with operational-level economic data to estimate the impact of climate-induced heat stress on the productivity of the Chinese pig industry using a stochastic frontier production function model. Based on model results, we projected the impact of heat stress on pig production in 2030 and 2050 with and without technological advances. Results showed that heat stress has a significant negative impact on pig production, with southern regions being more affected. However, considering technological advances, losses will decrease by 21 % and 52 %, respectively, compared with the scenario without technological advances. Simultaneously, we calculated the costs of climate change mitigation and adaptation and found that increasing production inputs to reduce production losses from heat stress costs one-fifth of forgoing production losses. Therefore, we recommend a positive climate change response strategy.

Study on categorization of factors affecting smallholder dairy production in Siltie Zone, Southern Ethiopia, applying multivariate analysis approaches

This study aims to categorize smallholder dairy farming systems through multivariate analysis. Nonlinear categorical principal component analysis (NLPCA) was used to lessen 35 variables into 4 sets of uncorrelated components. These four categories are environment-genetic interaction, management, hygiene, and genetic-related factors. Besides, within the two-step cluster analysis, a variable cluster membership was created that identified which family belonged to which cluster. For comparison purpose, hierarchical cluster analysis was used. A two-step cluster analysis results showed that most farms (41.50% and 31.90% in peri-urban and urban areas, respectively, had been in cluster 1 at the same time as most farms (66.70%) of urban areas had been in cluster 2. Overall, most (31.00% and 34.00%) of farms have been in clusters 1 and 2, respectively. Most farms in peri-urban areas had been challenged with scarcity of feed, mastitis, and animal sickness than farms within the urban and rural farming systems. Forming farmer groups as a cooperative to supply offerings together with feed processing devices, artificial insemination, and health services is usually recommended to triumph over such hassle. In addition, on account that it is primarily based on a couple of criteria, the category system evolved in this study depicts a lot better dairy farming systems with admiration to the variety of the components and the relative contribution of each component to dairy farming than do the single-criterion classifications. Hence, the results of such classifications should be seen as a start line from which to efficiently compare the modern extension system and eventually design the high-quality-fit extension models for a heterogeneous populace of smallholder dairy farmers.

Nexus between Climate-Smart Livestock Production Practices and Farmers' Nutritional Security in Pakistan: Exploring Level, Linkages, and Determinants

Livestock plays a vital role in humans’ food and nutrition security under rapidly changing climatic scenarios. This study investigates the nature and factors affecting livestock farmers’ choices of climate-smart livestock practices by using a multivariate probit model and then estimates the average effect of these adopted strategies on per capita daily dietary (calorie, protein, and calcium) intake among livestock herders. For this purpose, data were collected from 196 livestock farmers residing in the Punjab province of Pakistan, selected through multistage purposive and random sampling. The Simpson diversity index results revealed that farmers used diversified food in their daily diet. The results also showed that farmers consumed more protein-rich food items as compared to calorie and calcium-rich food items in their daily diet. Moreover, the average per capita calorie intake of livestock farmers was 2413.19 kcal/day. Livestock farmers adopting a higher number of climate-smart livestock practices consumed more daily per capita calories, protein, and calcium compared to those who adopted a lower number of climate-smart livestock practices on livestock farms. Moreover, climate-smart livestock practices produced more and better nutritional outcomes in combination with each other than in isolation. Livestock training was found to be positively associated with the adoption of more climate-smart practices. Therefore, livestock training is necessary to expedite the adoption of climate-smart practices and to improve the nutritional security of the farmers.