Profile of the rural farms in different dairy belts and its influence on the animal performance of the activity

Abstract

A database was analyzed related to milk producers who are linked to dairy processing industries located in the Northeast, South, and Southeast regions of Brazil. The economic space lasted 48 months, each technician or producer filled a questionnaire, completing a total of 85 milk producers from different regions of the national territory. After eliminating inconsistencies and discrepancies, the database allowed a consistent sample of 33 producers. Data on animal performance was subjected to ANOVAG from the SAEG program, version 9.1 (UFV, 2007), and averages were evaluated by the Tukey test at the level of 5% of error probability. Farmers from the Northeast had higher levels of education, and the majority of these ones were living in the dairy property, as well as the milk producers from the Southeast and South of Brazil. Most of the employees of the analyzed properties were males and had a lower level of education; they were living in the properties where they worked. Within the animal performance index, the productivity by area and by the employee, the daily milk production by the cow, and by lactation were highest in the South milk producers.