During reproductive management care, Francisco shows the first AITF calf born in 2023.
Access to knowledge and technology focused on dairy farming can change the perspective of small milk producers, who will now have more qualifications and autonomy to promote improvements in production.
The change in perspective has been possible for producer Francisco Paulo Fernandes since he joined the Cooplaf Leite project, an initiative carried out by the Instituto BioSistêmico (IBS) with resources from the Zoetis Foundation and Sebrae/MS, in settlements in the Terenos-MS region.
“With the guidance we received, we are opening our minds to work better in dairy farming. My goal is to improve production by improving the genetics of the herd. And the Cooplaf Leite project gives us this possibility with IATF and ultrasound examinations,” says the producer. Francisco adds that on the family farm, located in the Patagônia settlement, three female calves and two male calves have already been born through Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination (AITF) performed by the IBS team in the project.
“We take good care of the calves, following the veterinarians’ instructions. Later on, we will sell the male calves to earn extra income. And the female calves are the future dairy cows that will improve our productivity,” says Francisco.
For producer Paulino Ferreira Junior, from the Campo Verde Settlement, the Cooplaf Leite project is a reference for reliable information so that he can make improvements to his property, whether in terms of reproduction, feeding, cattle health or milk quality.
“With ultrasound exams, for example, it becomes easier to carry out reproductive planning, to carry out the protocol and AITF at the right time, to know which cows are pregnant and which should be fed at the trough with a more specific diet”, says Paulino.
For Paulino, ultrasound exams facilitate reproductive planning.
The producer adds that he has started to accurately monitor the quality of the milk, with analyses being carried out more frequently during the project's health management services.
“I produce quality milk, which has been shown in the tests. This is very important information, as it indicates whether we are on the right track or whether we need to make adjustments at some point in production. We have come out of the dark and are now working with more certainty,” reveals Paulino.
Reproductive and Sanitary management
At Cooplaf Leite, many producers had never had an ultrasound exam performed on their cows until they joined the project. Ultrasound exams are performed during reproductive management appointments to diagnose pregnancy and identify reproductive diseases that require treatment. During these visits, animals eligible to receive the AITF protocol are selected.
Next,sanitary management and AITF services begin, AITF performed on selected cows, in addition to milk quality tests and herd health monitoring.
In the first half of 2024, reproductive and sanitary management services were performed in January, February, April and June. The next rounds are scheduled for August and September.
About the Project
The Cooplaf Leite Project was conceived by the Instituto BioSistêmico with the main objective of promoting the development of dairy farming among members of the Mixed Agricultural Cooperative for Beef and Dairy Livestock and Family Farming (Cooplaf), an entity based in the municipality of Terenos, in state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the Center-West region of Brazil.
Executed by IBS, the initiative is supported by resources from the Zoetis Foundation and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It also receives institutional and academic support from Unimar – University of Marília.
This is another livestock project carried out by the Instituto BioSistêmico that uses the CheckMilk methodology, which has a platform with a management system and application for technical teams and producers. The system facilitates project management and the application helps the producer on a daily basis, as support, an extension of IBS consultancy that can be accessed at any time in the palm of your hand.
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