Dairy science and health in the tropics: challenges and opportunities for the next decades

Authors: HERNANDEX-CASTELLANO, LORENZO - Aarhus University; Nally, Jarlath; LINDAHL, JOHANNA - Ilri - International Livestock Research Institute; WANAPAT, METHA - Khon Kaen University; ALHIDARY, IBRAHIM - King Saud University; FANGUEIRO, DAVID - Universidade Nova De Lisboa; GRACE, DELIA - Ilri - International Livestock Research Institute; RATTO, MARCELO - Universidad De Chile; BAMBOU, JEAN - Antilles-Guyanne Animal Production Research Unit; DE ALMEIDA, ANDRE - Universidade Nova De Lisboa

Submitted to: Tropical Animal Health and Production
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2019
Publication Date: 3/26/2019
Citation: Hernandex-Castellano, L.E., Nally, J.E., Lindahl, J., Wanapat, M., Alhidary, I.A., Fangueiro, D., Grace, D., Ratto, M., Bambou, J.C., de Almeida, A.M. 2019. Dairy science and health in the tropics: challenges and opportunities for the next decades. Tropical Animal Health and Production. 51(5):1009-1017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-01866-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-01866-6

Interpretive Summary: As the world’s population continues to grow, it is necessary to increase availability of high-value animal protein foods, including meat and dairy products that are produced locally. Dairy production in tropical regions has lots of growth potential, but also poses a series of problems, particularly as dairy production systems were developed in temperate countries and in most cases are difficult to implement in the tropics. Drawbacks include hot weather and heat stress, lack of availability of adequate feeds, poor infrastructure and cold chain, and competition with cheap imports from temperate countries. This manuscript provides an overview of the major difficulties in dairy production for the five most important dairy species: cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goat and camel, as well as the future trends in research and development. It also reviews the major trends in reproduction, production systems and health issues as well as environmental concerns, particularly those related to greenhouse gas emissions.

Technical Abstract: In the next two decades, world population will increase significantly, the majority in developing countries located in tropical countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. To feed such a population, it is necessary to increase the availability of food, particularly high-value animal protein foods produced locally, namely meat and dairy products. Dairy production in tropical regions has lot of growth potential, but also poses a series of problems, particularly as dairy production systems were developed in temperate countries and in most cases are difficult to implement in the tropics. Drawbacks include hot weather and heat stress, lack of availability of adequate feeds, poor infrastructure and cold chain and the competition with cheap imports from temperate countries. This position paper reviews the major drawbacks in dairy production for the five major dairy species: cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goat and camel, as well as the future trends in research and development. It also concerns the major trends in reproduction, production systems and health issues as well as environmental concerns, particularly those related to greenhouse gas emissions. Tropical Animal Health and Production now launches a topical collection on Tropical Dairy Science. We aim to publish interesting and significant papers in tropical dairy science. On behalf of the Editorial board of Tropical Animal Health and Production, we would like to invite all authors working in this field to submit their works on this topic to this topical collection in our journal.