MILK FARM MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION IN BOYACA

Objective. To characterize the administrative, technical and management practice, on milk farms in Boyacá. Materials and methods. A descriptive epidemiologic study was conducted utilizing questionnaires and observations of routine daily farm registries. The variables were grouped in categories including environment, infrastructure, production and administration. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted; Pearson Chi square and ANOVA were used to evaluate significant differences. Results. The average ambient environmental temperature was 13.5ºC (SD 2.18); the mean elevation was 2.630m m.s.l (SD 205.5); mean yearly precipitation was 49.81 mm (SD 5.35). Farms varied in size from 9 to 89 ha, with a mean of 43.35 ha. Technical assistance was used in 95% of farms, including 75% in animal health and 25% animal reproduction. The mean milk production was 16.5 liters/cow/day. Most farms were overseen by a foreman. 90% of the owners had studied disciplines in universities that were different from agriculture. Conclusions. The farms studied were small compared to other milk farms, both nationally and internationally. The mean milk production is high when compared to other regions, with low administrative overhead and complementary activity related to income of the owners. It is important to implement strategies to increase capacity for the management of milk farms by development of agro-business courses that could be offered to the foremen of the farms in order to assist in the improvement of production lines.