Assessment of Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Dairy Cattle Farms and Management Practices in The Northern Region of Iraq

Authors : Eftekhar Ali Hakim, Cuma Akbay

Pages : 27-45

Doi:10.61513/tead.1464518

View : 61 | Download : 64

Publication Date : 2024-06-30

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Dairy farming plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the northern region of Iraq, constituting a crucial segment of the rural economy. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics of dairy farms and management practices in the Northern Region of Iraq. Data were gathered from 280 dairy farmers in the Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk, and Halep provinces and analyzed using frequency tables and descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the average number of cows per farm stood at 28.2, with an estimated average milk yield of 10.1 liters per cow. Additionally, 53.2% of farms in the surveyed area reported the utilization of artificial insemination techniques. Despite these achievements, several challenges confront milk producers in the region, such as a lack of digital skills, the burden of high feeding costs, inadequate feeding, challenges related to hygiene and disease control within dairy herds, uncertainties regarding market access, and limited veterinary services.
Keywords : Süt sığırcılığı, süt üretimi, pazarlama, teknoloji, yayım, Erbil, Irak