Agriculture, specifically the cultivation of pastures, is the fundamental basis of all livestock activity, however, many people in the sector still do not know its meaning, contribution and benefits to improve the production and quality of milk. Ranchers should have as a priority in their agenda to improve and condition their land with more and better species of grass that offer more nutrients to livestock and thus increase the productivity and profitability of their farms.
Although today farmers are specializing in issues such as bovine genetics, the systematization of milking parlors, in state-of-the-art equipment and in offering the animals the best veterinary drugs and treatments, there is still a need to delve into issues of agriculture to offer the animals pasture of the best quality.
And it is that the quality of the milk we consume depends on several factors such as the genetics of the animals, food supplements, good livestock practices on farms in terms of health and hygiene, in addition to the quantity and quality of forage consumed by the animal.
It should be taken into account that the availability of pastures can be affected, or benefited, by the climatic season of the year, that is, in periods of high rainfall there may be a lot of grass available for livestock, while in summer it may be scarce.
For this reason, it is required that farmers have adequate fertilization programs and invest to have optimal forage species that provide higher nutritional levels to livestock and that guarantee an appropriate availability of pastures. This will help farmers to have a higher milk production, which in the end translates into better production margins per liter of milk.
The ruminant nature of cows requires farmers to have a good quantity and quality of pasture. Proper application of fertilizers will ensure that there is good forage availability throughout the year. Hence the importance of dairy producers adopting good agricultural and fertilization practices.
Additionally, it will be guaranteed that the forage contributes to the cattle high levels of calcium, magnesium, sulfur and phosphorus, essential nutrients to contribute to a better body condition and the well-being of the animals, and therefore in the quantity and quality of the milk.
On the other hand, about 45% of the cost of the production of a liter of milk is associated with the value of the concentrate and 25% with the handling and care of the forages, this means that 70% corresponds only to the feeding and nutrition of the animal . Increasing the consumption of pasture will make livestock farming more profitable.
In conclusion, ranchers must take on the challenge of being farmers to offer good quality pastures, which guarantee the nutritional requirements of livestock and which is sustainable throughout the year. More than a century of agronomic knowledge, added to the studies carried out by Yara worldwide, have shown us that this ensures that their farms are more profitable and that their animals are healthier.
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